A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on Monday offloaded what officials described as the largest drug seizure in the service’s history, unloading more than 76,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana intercepted at sea.
The cutter Hamilton arrived at Port Everglades with approximately 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana, valued at $473 million. Authorities said the narcotics represented an estimated 23 million potential lethal doses.
“This is enough to fatally overdose the entire population of Florida, underscoring the immense threat posed by transnational drug trafficking,” Rear Adm. Adam Chamie said in a statement.
The seizures stemmed from 19 separate interdictions conducted between June 26 and August 18 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The operations involved three Coast Guard cutters, two U.S. Navy warships, a Netherlands warship, helicopter units, U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft, and the Joint Interagency Task Force.
Capt. John B. McWhite, commanding officer of the Hamilton, said his crew was responsible for capturing a record 47,000 pounds of cocaine alone, much of it from 11 high-speed “go-fast” boats typically used by smugglers. “This historic haul is the direct result of relentless teamwork, determination, and the use of advanced technology,” McWhite said.
Authorities also detained 34 suspected traffickers during the operations. Officials credited the Hamilton’s drone unit with detecting and tracking many of the smuggling vessels before they could reach their intended destinations.
The Coast Guard said the record-breaking bust reflects a broader push to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. Since January, the service has seized narcotics worth more than $2.2 billion.
“These drugs fuel and enable cartels and transnational criminal organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, threatening communities across the United States,” the Coast Guard said.
President Donald Trump, who has made combating fentanyl a top administration priority, signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act in July. The measure, passed with bipartisan support, imposes tougher prison sentences on fentanyl traffickers.
Trump has frequently cited the illicit drug trade as a justification for tariff threats against Mexico, Canada and China, saying the flow of fentanyl and cocaine poses a direct risk to American lives.
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