Coast Guard Nets 100+ Tons of Cocaine in Eastern Pacific Drug Crackdown

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it has seized more than 200,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific since launching Operation Pacific Viper in early August, marking one of the most aggressive maritime counter-narcotics campaigns in recent years.

The milestone follows recent interdictions that recovered 13,337 pounds by the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca and 13,263 pounds by the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward. Based on federal estimates that 1.2 grams of cocaine can constitute a potentially lethal dose, the seizures represent more than 75 million doses prevented from reaching U.S. markets.

“Operation Pacific Viper has proven to be a crucial weapon in the fight against foreign drug traffickers and cartels in Latin America,” said Kristi Noem, adding that the operation has denied criminal organizations billions of dollars in illicit revenue.

Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard, said maritime interdictions remain critical to disrupting drug trafficking networks before they reach U.S. shores.

“Each Coast Guard drug seizure far from our borders prevents deadly drugs from reaching our communities and cuts into the profits that fuel narco-terrorism,” Lunday said. “The success of Operation Pacific Viper reflects the professionalism and vigilance of our crews operating at sea.”

Launched in early August 2025, Operation Pacific Viper has intensified Coast Guard operations along the Eastern Pacific corridor, a primary smuggling route for cocaine originating in Central and South America. The campaign has surged cutters, aircraft, and deployable tactical teams to detect, intercept, and seize narcotics shipments.

In December, the Coast Guard reported seizing 150,000 pounds of cocaine in a single month, including the interdiction of one vessel carrying more than 20,000 pounds, underscoring the sustained tempo of the operation.

Counter-drug missions are conducted in close coordination with U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West, Florida, which is responsible for detecting and tracking suspect maritime and aerial traffic. Once interdiction is imminent, operational control shifts to the Coast Guard. Officials say roughly 80 percent of U.S.-bound narcotics seizures occur at sea.

Military Strikes Target Trafficking Vessels

Alongside Coast Guard interdictions, U.S. forces have conducted dozens of airstrikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the southern Caribbean and Eastern Pacific under Operation Southern Spear, which began in September 2025.

According to U.S. military statements, the campaign has targeted boats allegedly involved in narcotics smuggling and has resulted in more than 115 suspected traffickers killed. The most recent publicly acknowledged strike in the Caribbean occurred on November 10, when U.S. forces hit a vessel in international waters, killing four people. Subsequent strikes have shifted primarily to the Eastern Pacific.

On Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed on social media that some senior cartel figures had halted narcotics operations following what he described as “highly effective” strikes. He provided no supporting evidence.

U.S. Southern Command later confirmed that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on February 5 against a vessel operating along known trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific. The command said two individuals described as “narco-terrorists” were killed and that no U.S. forces were injured.

As the nation’s lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction, the Coast Guard operates at the intersection of law enforcement and national defense. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific fall under the authority of the Coast Guard’s Southwest District, headquartered in Alameda, California.

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