Coast Guard offloads illegal drugs worth over $500 million in South Florida

The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded nearly 46,000 pounds of seized illegal drugs at Port Everglades on Thursday morning, marking a major blow to international drug trafficking operations that often use the Caribbean and Latin America as key smuggling routes into the United States.

The haul—valued at more than $517.5 million—was the result of 14 interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, carried out by the crews of Coast Guard cutters Stone and Mohawk. These missions involved helicopter interdiction tactical squadron aircrews and a Tactical Law Enforcement Team-Pacific detachment, targeting smugglers attempting to bring cocaine and other narcotics into the U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the operation a milestone in combatting the flow of illicit drugs into the country.

“Today is a historic day. Here at Port Everglades, over 22.5 tons—or 45,000 pounds—of cocaine, along with 50 pounds of marijuana, worth more than half a billion dollars, are being taken out of circulation,” Noem said. “This unprecedented seizure is the result of 14 interdictions of drug-smuggling vessels, many of which were destined for Florida’s coastline.”