The United States Coast Guard has completed a record-breaking offload of illicit drugs valued at more than $362 million after the crew of USCGC Stone delivered approximately 49,010 pounds of narcotics to Port Everglades on Wednesday.

The service confirmed that this is the largest amount of cocaine seized by a single cutter during one patrol in Coast Guard history. According to officials, the drugs were seized during 15 interdictions carried out in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Capt. Anne O’Connell, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Stone, said that she was extremely proud of her crew’s performance during the deployment.

She added that Coast Guard crews, working with inter-agency and international partners, continue to patrol areas known for drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, preventing smugglers from using maritime routes to move narcotics towards US borders.

The Coast Guard stated that several assets and crews took part in the interdictions, including:

• U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone
• Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Jacksonville
• Joint Interagency Task Force–South
• Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders
• Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders

Officials highlighted that 80% of interdictions involving drugs bound for the United States take place at sea, emphasising the importance of maritime operations in reducing the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting communities.

U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force–South, based in Key West, is responsible for detecting and monitoring aerial and maritime drug movements.

Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the Coast Guard assumes control for the law-enforcement phase, which includes interdiction and apprehension.

Operations in the Eastern Pacific are conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard’s Southwest District, headquartered in Alameda, California.

The Coast Guard stated that it is increasing counter-drug activity in the Eastern Pacific as part of Operation Pacific Viper to prevent the movement of illicit narcotics from South America to the United States.

The service added that bulk drug shipments at sea fuel cartels and transnational criminal networks, enabling the production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl.

The interdictions are expected to deny criminal organisations more than half a billion dollars in illegal revenue. The operations also generate testimonial evidence, drug samples, and intelligence that support investigative efforts.

According to officials, the cases are connected to Panama Express (PANEX), an initiative of HSTF Tampa conducted under Operation Take Back America, which aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organisations through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach.

USCGC Stone is one of four 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, operating under the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.

Reference: USCG