Fifteen successful interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean’s international waters led to a significant drug seizure.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard has achieved a landmark in their fight against narcotics, thanks to a single crew’s massive cocaine haul, offloading a staggering amount of illicit substances off Florida’s shores.
The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Stone delivered approximately 49,010 pounds of illegal drugs, valued at over $362 million, on Wednesday at Port Everglades. This operation represents the largest cocaine haul ever seized by a single cutter during one patrol.
The drugs stemmed from 15 interdictions conducted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
“I am immensely proud of the crew’s outstanding performance throughout this mission,” declared Capt. Anne O’Connell, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Stone. “This offload highlights our heightened vigilance and ongoing triumphs in combating narco-terrorism and transnational crime. The Coast Guard, partnered with our inter-agency and international allies, continues to patrol key drug trafficking zones in the Eastern Pacific, effectively blocking smugglers from using maritime routes to transport illegal substances to U.S. borders.”
This remarkable seizure is not the only record-breaking operation the Coast Guard has witnessed in 2025.
In late August, crews collected 76,140 pounds of narcotics, with roughly 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana collected. This is the largest overall amount of drugs recovered by the USCG in its history.
In total, the drugs had an estimated value of $473 million.
“With the support of the American people, the Coast Guard remains relentless in combating Transnational Criminal Organizations securing our borders and maritime approaches – where defense of America begins,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
