The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a semi-submersible vessel loaded with 5,000 pounds of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, seizing an estimated $69 million worth of drugs. The bust occurred on October 23 during a maritime patrol operation, highlighting the Coast Guard’s aggressive stance on international narcotics trafficking.
The cocaine seizure in the Pacific Ocean was executed by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane. Acting on intelligence and aerial support from the Joint Interagency Task Force South, the cutter’s crew intercepted the sub-like craft before the four suspected smugglers aboard could activate scuttling valves to sink it.
Video footage captured the tense operation as officers boarded the vessel and secured the massive load of cocaine. Cmdr. Dorothy Hernaez praised the “precision and professionalism” of her team. “It was an all-hands-on-deck effort to properly position the cutter and safely make the seizure,” she said.
This operation was part of routine drug interdiction patrols across known trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Basin. The seizure supports Campaign Martillo, a regional initiative that targets narcotics trafficking networks operating off the coasts of Central and South America.
The semi-submersible vessels used by drug cartels are built to evade radar and carry massive amounts of contraband. Intercepting one before the cargo is lost to the sea requires skill, timing, and coordination.
In a related July operation, the Coast Guard seized nearly 20 tons of cocaine from a similar vessel, a raid that went viral after dramatic video showed crew members banging on the hatch to gain access. These seizures reinforce the U.S. commitment to disrupting international drug flows that threaten regional and global security.
22 June 2025
Source: Military.com
