Victory at Sea: U.S. Seizes $8 Billion in Cocaine from Smugglers

In a sweeping international effort to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the United States, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces have seized over $8 billion worth of cocaine, totaling more than 329 tons, in less than nine months. That’s the equivalent of 266 million doses that will never make it onto American streets.

These record-breaking busts are part of Operation Martillo, a multinational campaign targeting drug trafficking routes along the Central American coastline. The operation is led by the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), with contributions from international partners.

High-Stakes Interceptions

In the Pacific Ocean, the USS Sampson, a U.S. Navy destroyer, recently intercepted a smuggling vessel carrying 7,850 pounds of cocaine valued at $58.1 million. The vessel was destroyed after the seizure, and the three smugglers on board were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) tracked a suspicious aircraft over the Caribbean Sea using a P-3 patrol aircraft. When the plane landed, international law enforcement partners seized 880 pounds of cocaine and arrested the three smugglers on board.

Closer to Home

Near San Diego, California, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a disabled vessel and discovered a smuggling operation involving seven individuals, including two unaccompanied minors. The group—illegal entrants from Mexico and Chile—was handed over to Border Patrol.

A Coordinated Fight

This wave of interdictions highlights the coordinated efforts of U.S. and international agencies to target smuggling operations by sea and air before they can reach American soil. The scale of these seizures also underscores how persistent and well-funded these trafficking networks are.

With more than $8 billion in cocaine confiscated and hundreds of traffickers detained, Operation Martillo continues to serve as a powerful tool in disrupting the drug pipeline from Central and South America.

Are you surprised by the volume of drugs and the daring lengths traffickers go to?

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