On Easter Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, seizing over 4,500 pounds of cocaine valued at nearly $34 million. Authorities have labeled the vessel as a suspected “narco-terrorist” craft, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The operation began when a maritime patrol aircraft spotted suspicious activity from the vessel’s crew, who were seen discarding contraband into the ocean. Acting on this intelligence, the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba was dispatched to the scene.
To further investigate the situation, the Coast Guard deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, which tracked the vessel operating near the coast of Manta, Ecuador. This aerial support was critical in coordinating the interception.
The crew aboard the Escanaba launched a cutter pursuit boat, successfully recovering over 4,510 pounds of cocaine from the water. This significant haul underscores the ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.
Officials, including DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, have highlighted the operation as a key component of Operation Pacific Viper. This initiative, launched in August 2025, focuses on counter-drug efforts throughout the Eastern Pacific, aiming to curb the flow of narcotics into the United States.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the recovery was part of Operation Pacific Viper, a Coast Guard counter-drug operation launched in August 2025 in the Eastern Pacific.
“Operation Pacific Viper plays a central part of President Trump’s fight against the cartels at sea, cutting off their ability to make money by trafficking their poison into our country,” Mullin said in a statement. “This operation has already seized over 215,000 pounds of cocaine and has arrested over 160 suspected narco-traffickers.”
U.S. Coast Guard crews display seized cocaine following a counter-drug operation in the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (Department of Homeland Security)
He added, “The brave men and women of the Coast Guard are saving American lives by keeping these deadly drugs out of our communities and off our streets.”
The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine from a suspected narco-terrorist vessel in the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (Department of Homeland Security)
DHS said the Coast Guard’s efforts to disrupt drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific are a key part of the Trump administration’s initiative to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard has seized more than 215,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended more than 160 suspected narco-traffickers, according to DHS.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized cocaine valued at nearly $34 million during an operation in the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (U.S. Coast Guard)
According to DHS, the operation included the Coast Guard’s largest drug seizure in its history, when it recovered more than 76,000 pounds of illegal drugs in August 2025, valued at $473 million. The total reflects multiple interdictions combined into a single offload.
The Coast Guard also seized nearly 50,000 pounds of illicit drugs in November 2025, valued at $362 million — one of the largest totals attributed to a Coast Guard cutter from multiple interdictions, according to DHS.
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