The U.S. Coast Guard USCGC Charles Sexton, based in Key West, Florida, seized approximately 2,380 pounds of marijuana valued at $2.8 million on Saturday after intercepting a vessel suspected of drug trafficking about 80 miles southwest of Great Inagua, in the Bahamas, according to the official statement.
Upon boarding the vessel, the crew of the Charles Sexton found 97 bundles of the substance and apprehended three individuals traveling on board.
The operation was carried out in coordination with the government of the Bahamas and received logistical support from the Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean (HSC-Ocean), a program launched in June 2026 through which the Coast Guard contracted the company Bordelon Marine to operate a commercial vessel that supplies the cutters directly at sea, eliminating the need for them to return to port.
Members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) also participated, taking custody of both the three detainees and the confiscated drugs for judicial processing.
The unloading of the illegal cargo and the arrests took place this Monday in Coral Harbour, Bahamas.
Lieutenant Peter Fager, commander of the Charles Sexton, emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in these types of operations.
"This interception highlights the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to combating transnational organized crime in the region," Fager stated.
"By working together, we continue to dismantle illicit trafficking and protect the security and stability of our maritime borders," he emphasized.
The Charles Sexton is a Sentinel-class fast response cutter that reaches speeds exceeding 28 knots and has a five-day range, making the logistical support from the HSC-Ocean particularly useful for extending its time in the operational area.
The area of Great Inagua, at the southern tip of the Bahamas, is a strategic corridor for drug trafficking that connects Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas with South Florida, through which between 10% and 15% of the cocaine detected en route from South America to the United States has historically passed.
This seizure adds to a series of anti-drug operations carried out by the Coast Guard in the Caribbean this year.
In June, an Ecuadorian drug boat was detected in the Caribbean and 3,960 pounds of marijuana were seized; in May, 3,200 pounds of the same substance were confiscated off the coast of Haiti; and in April, the USCGC Resolute offloaded over 2,570 pounds of cocaine valued at 19.3 million dollars in Miami Beach.
The largest seizure in the history of the Coast Guard took place in August 2025, when more than 76,000 pounds of drugs were confiscated in Port Everglades valued at 473 million dollars, marking a turning point in the intensification of anti-narcotics operations in the region.
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