A U.S. Coast Guard vessel seized more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine from a ship this week in the largest maritime interdiction in nearly 20 years, officials said.
The Coast Guard said the items were seized by the crew of the cutter Munro, which patrols the Pacific out of Alameda, Calif., during a “drug interdiction operation” in the eastern Pacific. The incident was part of Operation Pacific Viper, the Trump administration’s effort to stem the flow of illegal drugs through the Pacific Ocean.
Video shows Coast Guard vehicles pursuing a high-speed vessel that appears to be carrying multiple people. The agency said the helicopter crew disabled the “non-compliant” vessel. Munro then arrived at the scene and seized the drugs.
The Coast Guard did not disclose the conditions of those on board.
“Our Maritime Combat Forces are leading America’s counternarcotics operations, protecting the homeland and preventing deadly drugs from entering American communities,” the Coast Guard said in a social media post and a video clip.
Authorities have long struggled to intercept drug-carrying ships from Central and South America. The Trump administration has carried out deadly attacks on some ships, killing dozens and sparking controversy. some have question its legalityespecially in A second strike was carried out Survivors of September 2nd. The Trump administration defended the attack.
Colombian authorities seized more than 7 tons of cocaine from a ship in the Caribbean earlier this week, the Colombian navy said on social media. The drugs were worth more than $340 million and 11 people were detained, the Navy said in a separate statement.
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