Coast Guard seizes over seven thousand pounds of drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific

The crew of the USCGC Escanaba offloaded approximately 7,050 pounds of cocaine — valued at over 53 million dollars — at Port Everglades, Florida, following two interdictions carried out in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the United States Coast Guard.

The operation was supported by the Helicopter Tactical Interdiction Squadron (HITRON), the Joint Interagency Task Force South, and watchstanders from the Southeast and Southwest Districts of the Coast Guard.

The commander of the Escanaba, Cmdr. Nicholas Seniuk, highlighted the performance of his crew: "The achievements of the crew during this patrol reflect the best of our service: courage, vigilance, and an unwavering commitment to the protection of the American people."

"Every pound of narcotics we keep off our streets represents transformed lives, prevented violence, and safer communities. We couldn't be more proud of your extraordinary work," added Seniuk.

The Coast Guard emphasized that 80% of the drugs destined for the United States are intercepted at sea, and that the seized cocaine funds cartels and transnational criminal organizations that also produce and traffick illegal fentanyl into U.S. territory.

This offloading occurs days after the USCGC Tampa offloaded 3,825 pounds of cocaine —valued at 28.7 million dollars— under Operation Pacific Viper, following a 74-day patrol.

On April 23, the USCGC Resolute also offloaded 2,570 pounds of cocaine, estimated to be worth 19.3 million dollars, resulting from three interceptions in the Caribbean carried out by the USCGC Tahoma and the USS Billings.

In March, the Coast Guard seized over 6,570 pounds of cocaine valued at more than 49 million dollars in the Eastern Pacific, while in February 17,750 pounds were confiscated, valued at over 133.5 million dollars with participation from the USCGC Seneca and HITRON.

The operations are part of a sustained pattern of interdictions that significantly intensified in 2025, when the Coast Guard seized over 511,000 pounds of cocaine, more than triple its historical annual average.

Since the launch of Operation Pacific Viper in August 2025, focused on the Eastern Pacific, the agency has seized over 215,000 pounds of cocaine and arrested 160 suspected drug traffickers, in what represents one of the largest cocaine seizures in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.