Venezuelan authorities say they seized nearly 4 tons of cocaine and dismantled a drug trafficking ring linked to the bloody Mexican Zetas drug cartel this month.

The operation began on May 14th, when a truck transporting cocaine hydrochloride was stopped near Venezuela's border with Colombia. That incident led to the discovery of the multi-ton deposit of cocaine where the group was preparing to export drugs.

Authorities arrested 10 people in a gang they believe is linked to the Zetas. Security analysts say Venezuela has become an export platform of cocaine to Europe and the United States.