Cocaine Seizure by Coast Guard

On Easter Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard reported the seizure of over 4,500 pounds of cocaine, estimated to be worth around $34 million, from a vessel suspected of narco-terrorism in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that this operation began when the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba received alerts from a maritime patrol aircraft about the vessel’s crew discarding contraband into the ocean.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was dispatched to investigate the suspicious activity off Manta, Ecuador.

The Escanaba crew then deployed a pursuit vessel, which successfully retrieved more than 4,510 pounds of cocaine.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted that this operation is part of Operation Pacific Viper, a counter-narcotics initiative that started in August 2025 in the eastern Pacific.

“Operation Pacific Viper is essential to the fight against maritime cartels, targeting their income streams from the trafficking of harmful substances into the U.S.,” Mullin stated. “So far, the operation has led to the seizure of more than 215,000 pounds of coke and over 160 arrests.”

Mullin commended the Coast Guard members, saying, “They protect American lives by keeping dangerous drugs off our streets.”

The DHS maintained that their actions in the Eastern Pacific play a crucial role in the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle narcoterrorism and dismantle cross-border criminal enterprises.

Operation Pacific Viper has already seen substantial results, including a record-setting drug confiscation of over 76,000 pounds of illegal substances valued at $473 million, which occurred in August 2025.

Additionally, nearly 50,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth $362 million were seized in November 2025, marking the highest amount of cocaine captured by a single Coast Guard cutter to date.