Coast Guard Seizes $239 Million Worth of Cocaine in Eastern Pacific Ocean
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche offloaded approximately 18,219 pounds of cocaine, worth over $239 million, in San Diego. The drugs were seized during six separate interdictions off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America. The largest interdiction involved a self-propelled semi-submersible carrying over 5,500 pounds of cocaine, the first of its kind in the Eastern Pacific since 2020. Multiple U.S. agencies collaborated in the effort, including the Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection to criminal prosecutions.