US Coast Guard Seizes Illegal Drugs Worth Nearly $473 Million
This week, US Coast Guard cutters in Port Everglades, Florida, offloaded illegal drugs valued at approximately $473 million, or about £76,140. This operation, part of what they’re calling Operation Pacific Viper, involved significant seizures—around 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana. These drugs were intercepted during 19 separate encounters in international waters off the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
The initiative underscores a broader effort, initiated under President Donald Trump, to combat foreign drug cartels operating in Latin America.
“To put this into perspective, the amount of cocaine seized could theoretically lead to fatal overdoses for the entire population of Florida,” stated Rear Admiral Adam Chammy, the Southeast District Commander of the Coast Guard. This puts into sharp relief the ongoing threat that transnational drug trafficking poses to the nation.
According to a recent statement from the US Department of Homeland Security, this operation marked the first significant offloading in Operation Pacific Viper, which aims to curb drug and human smuggling before they reach US shores. The operation featured collaboration between the Coast Guard and the US Navy, performing 19 intercessions in international waters as they work to protect coastal communities.
Multiple assets were involved in this mission, including three Coast Guard cutters, helicopter squadrons, three tactical teams, and Navy vessels, among others. Colonel John McWight, commander of the USS Hamilton, reported that they intercepted 11 high-speed vessels and apprehended 34 individuals linked to drug trafficking.
In previous operations involving the Hamilton, significant quantities of cocaine were seized, including 8,800 pounds from two vessels off the Galapagos Islands last June and an additional 9,160 pounds from a boat near Socorro Island in Mexico shortly after.
Reports indicate that around 80% of illegal drug interactions occur in the high seas. This ongoing effort may expand, with President Trump recently directing additional US military support toward countering cartels in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
