MIAMI, FL – The U.S. Coast Guard marked a historic milestone Monday with the offload of more than 76,140 pounds of illegal narcotics, the largest in the agency’s history, at Port Everglades. The haul, valued at $473 million, included approximately 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana.
Officials said the seizures were the result of 19 separate interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The operations prevented an estimated 23 million potential lethal doses from reaching the United States. Rear Adm. Adam Chamie, commander of the Coast Guard Southeast District, underscored the magnitude of the seizures, noting the doses represented enough cocaine to fatally overdose the entire population of Florida.
The interdictions involved multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters, including Hamilton, Vigilant, and Diligence, along with Navy ships USS Cole and USS Minneapolis Saint-Paul, and the Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Friesland. The operations also included Coast Guard tactical law enforcement teams, helicopter interdiction crews, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection air and marine units. In total, 34 suspected traffickers were detained.
Among the major interdictions, crews intercepted over 8,800 pounds of cocaine southeast of the Galapagos Islands in late June, seized more than 9,000 pounds of marijuana off Venezuela in mid-July, and confiscated more than 6,400 pounds of cocaine south of Jamaica earlier this month.
Capt. John B. McWhite, commanding officer of the Hamilton, praised his crew’s efforts, noting they interdicted 11 go-fast vessels and seized a record 47,000 pounds of cocaine. “This outstanding group of professionals achieved unparalleled results in our nation’s fight against transnational criminal drug organizations,” McWhite said.
The Coast Guard emphasized that such operations require significant coordination across federal, Department of Defense, and international partners. The agency continues to step up counter-drug efforts in the Eastern Pacific under Operation Pacific Viper, while also supporting Panama Express Strike Force investigations under Operation Take Back America.
Officials estimate the interdictions denied cartels and other criminal organizations more than half a billion dollars in illicit revenue, while also providing key intelligence to aid in dismantling trafficking networks.
