The U.S. Coast Guard has made a record-breaking cocaine seizure off the coast of Miami Beach, with approximately 2,570 pounds of the illicit substance worth more than $19.3 million being offloaded from the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute's crew.
This significant haul is part of a larger operation that has seen over 215,000 pounds of cocaine seized since its launch in early August, with 160 suspected narco-traffickers apprehended.
The seizure was the result of three interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and the USS Billings with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment.
This operation is a testament to the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat.
The majority of interdictions of U.S.-bound drugs occur at sea, highlighting the critical role that the Coast Guard plays in detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas.
Detecting and interdicting these smugglers involves significant interagency and international coordination, with Joint Interagency Task Force South playing a key role in monitoring aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs.
The U.S. Coast Guard's seizure of over 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025 was just the beginning, as the service continues to accelerate counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific through Operation Pacific Viper.
This operation is a prime example of the Coast Guard's commitment to disrupting transshipment of bulk illicit drugs by sea and fueling cartels' production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl.
The Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida, played a crucial role in this operation, continuing record-setting Coast Guard operations.
The Coast Guard's persistent operations and rapid response have denied criminal organizations billions in illicit revenue.
