Federal authorities seized 15,500 kilograms of cocaine from a south Philadelphia port Tuesday. The drugs were removed from seven shipping containers that had arrived in Philadelphia on the cargo ship MSC Gayane.

Investigators believe that the drugs were loaded onto the ship in the Bahamas, which was its last port of call before arriving in the United States. The ship also traveled through Panama and Chile. The seizure of the massive amount — more than 16 tons — of cocaine occurred at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal Port on the Delaware River.

Authorities estimate that the drugs could have been worth up to $1 billion if they had been sold on the street. Several of the ship's crew were arrested and charged with federal drug trafficking crimes.

William McSwain, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania tweeted, "This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history. This amount of cocaine could kill millions – MILLIONS – of people. My Office is committed to keeping our borders secure and streets safe from deadly narcotics."

This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history. This amount of cocaine could kill millions – MILLIONS – of people. My Office is committed to keeping our borders secure and streets safe from deadly narcotics. https://t.co/nWPfgpGqYa — US Attorney William M. McSwain (@USAttyMcSwain) June 18, 2019

A drug seizure at the Port of Philadelphia in March yielded more than half a ton of cocaine, which would have had a street value of nearly $38 million.

Several federal agencies, including ICE, the DEA, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security are involved in the ongoing investigation stemming from the Tuesday seizure. An official described the investigation as "massive."