Coast Guard Seizes Over 150,000 Pounds of Cocaine in Eastern Pacific Ocean
The Coast Guard has made a significant dent in the war on drugs, seizing more than 150,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since August as part of Operation Pacific Viper. The illicit drugs were intercepted in multiple operations, including one record-breaking bust earlier this month, where a “heavily laden” go-fast vessel was stopped with “disabling fire.” The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro arrived and seized over 20,000 pounds of cocaine from the other boat, marking the agency’s largest at-sea interdiction since March 2007.
According to the Coast Guard, the video of the incident shows the alleged drug boat being stopped by a helicopter crew who fired shots toward the vessel. Although the fate of the crew of the go-fast boat is unclear, the Coast Guard’s efforts have resulted in significant seizures. The video also shows other Coast Guard seizures, including clips of an unidentified crew apparently being taken into custody, with Lynyrd Skinner’s 1976 song “Gimme Back My Bullets” playing in the background.
Operation Pacific Viper: A Crucial Effort in the Fight Against Drug Trafficking
Throughout Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard has deployed additional assets, including cutters, aircraft, and tactical teams, to the Eastern Pacific. According to the Coast Guard, about 80% of all U.S.-bound narcotics seizures occur at sea. Another Coast Guard ship, a cutter named James, seized over 19,800 pounds of cocaine from four seizures conducted in mid-November. Additionally, another cutter offloaded over 49,000 pounds of illicit drugs, worth about $362 million, while in Florida in November.
The Coast Guard reported that the drugs seized over the course of the operation so far are worth more than $1.1 billion. The process of seizing boats carrying illicit drugs begins at the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West, Florida, where the task force detects and monitors both aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once it becomes clear that a ship will be intercepted, the Coast Guard takes control of the operation, stopping the ships, apprehending those aboard, and seizing the illicit drugs.
A Statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “Operation Pacific Viper has proven to be a crucial weapon in the fight against foreign drug traffickers and cartels in Latin America and has sent a clear message that we will disrupt, dismantle and destroy their deadly business exploits wherever we find them. In cutting off the flow of these deadly drugs, the Coast Guard is saving countless American lives and delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Safe Again and reestablish our maritime dominance.”
The U.S. government and other authorities have long fought to stop boats carrying drugs from Central and South America. While the Trump administration has targeted some vessels with lethal strikes, killing dozens and drawing controversy, the administration has defended the strikes, even as some questioned their legality, especially after a second strike was conducted on survivors of an incident on Sept. 2.
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