JUDGE OKS COCAINE, SQUID DESTRUCTION

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A federal judge ruled Friday that authorities can destroy
nine tons of squid and most of 13 tons of cocaine being preserved as
evidence in a drug trial.

Coast Guard crewmen seized the drugs and squid in April from a
Belize-flagged fishing boat about 1,500 miles south of San Diego. Defense
lawyers argued the squid was evidence that the crew was fishing, not
smuggling drugs.

Prosecutors said it was unnecessary to spend more than $40,000 a month to
store the cocaine and frozen squid.

Since the seizure, the government has spent about $4,000 to preserve the
squid and about $90,000 for the cocaine, which needed special storage
because it was contaminated with diesel fuel. The judge said all but 515
pounds of the cocaine can be destroyed.

The squid and cocaine will be preserved until at least July 30 to allow
defense experts to examine them.

The court delayed a ruling on whether a ton of shark and mahi-mahi seized
from the boat should be preserved.