Massive Drug Seizure in Caribbean: U.S. Coast Guard and International Partners Intercept Over $138 Million in Narcotics

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Posted by Admin on 2025-06-10 08:53:22 |

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In early June 2025, the United States Coast Guard announced a major success in its ongoing efforts to combat international drug trafficking. The crew of the USCG Cutter Valiant offloaded approximately 17,450 pounds of cocaine and 2,585 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades in Florida, with an estimated street value of \$132 million. This offloading was part of a larger operation involving six separate drug interdictions in the Caribbean Sea, carried out in collaboration with multiple international naval forces and interagency partners. Additionally, the crew of USCG Cutter Vigorous offloaded about 840 pounds of cocaine at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, valued at approximately \$6.2 million.

These drug seizures were the result of coordinated maritime patrol and interdiction efforts conducted throughout May 2025. Suspicious vessels were located and intercepted in various locations, including north of Aruba, south of the Dominican Republic, and north of Venezuela and Colombia. Maritime patrol aircraft were instrumental in detecting these vessels, after which different Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs), along with the crews of vessels such as the USS Gravely, Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Friesland, and Canada’s HMCS William Hall, carried out the interdictions. In one notable interdiction on May 22, the Valiant’s crew seized over 7,700 pounds of cocaine from a vessel located 170 miles north of Aruba.

Commander Matthew Press of the Cutter Valiant praised the dedication and bravery of his crew, highlighting their willingness to operate far from home and in challenging environments to protect U.S. borders. He emphasized the multinational nature of the mission and the collaboration with Canadian and Dutch naval forces, which together disrupted the activities of transnational criminal organizations.

These operations are part of the broader efforts led by the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) and fall under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force initiative. The OCDETF program aims to dismantle the most significant criminal networks that pose a threat to the United States using an intelligence-led, multi-agency approach. This latest series of interdictions underscores the importance of international cooperation and persistent maritime surveillance in combating large-scale drug trafficking in the region.

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