LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Prince William has helped the U.S. Coast Guard bust a drug smuggling boat carrying cocaine worth a minimum of $ 80 million . Prince William has helped bust a speed boat smuggling $ 80 million worth of cocaine . William , who is serving in the Royal Navy , helped make the bust last weekend when he spotted a speedboat found to be carrying nearly a ton of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean , Britain 's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday . William , 26 , was one of the crew members aboard a helicopter attached to the frigate HMS Iron Duke who spotted the ocean-going speedboat hundreds of miles northeast of Barbados , the defense ministry said The 50-foot-long power boat raised suspicions because it was a small vessel far out to sea and resembled a `` go-fast '' boat commonly used for drug smuggling , the ministry said . The boat 's location suggested it was en route to Europe or North Africa , it said . The chopper 's crew informed the ship 's captain about the boat , and U.S. Coast Guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat . They found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms -LRB- just under a ton -RRB- , the defense ministry said . The cocaine has a minimum street value of $ 80 million , the ministry said . The bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . Navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . William is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the Royal Navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . The prince , who is called sub lieutenant Wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends August 1 . William 's vessel , the Iron Duke , is a patrol boat which supports overseas British territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations . William completed a four-month attachment with the Royal Air Force earlier this year and received his pilot 's wings on graduation in April . He learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as Flying Officer Wales within the RAF . William is already a second lieutenant in the British Army , where he serves in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry . The attachments are designed to give the prince , who as king will be the head of the armed forces , experience with the military .