The U.S. Coast Guard has announced its largest ever drug offload, unloading more than 76,000 pounds of narcotics at Port Everglades in Florida. The haul, seized during Operation Pacific Viper, is valued at an estimated $473 million and marks the biggest drug interdiction in the service’s 110 year history.
The drugs included approximately 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana. Officials said the seizures were made across 19 missions in waters near Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Rear Admiral Adam Chamie emphasized the sheer scale of the operation, noting that the cocaine alone represented around 23 million lethal doses—enough to overdose the entire population of Florida.
The operation was a multi agency effort involving Coast Guard cutters, Navy warships, a Dutch naval vessel, and allied forces. The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton played a leading role, intercepting 11 high speed vessels used by traffickers and detaining 34 suspected smugglers.
This record breaking offload surpasses the Coast Guard’s previous mark of 61,130 pounds and highlights the growing scope of maritime smuggling networks operated by transnational criminal organizations. Officials stressed that disrupting these supply chains is critical to U.S. national security and public safety.
The record seizure underscores the Coast Guard’s frontline role in combating drug trafficking while also drawing attention to the persistent demand fueling the illicit trade. As the service celebrates this milestone, leaders acknowledged that the challenge of keeping dangerous drugs off American streets remains ongoing.