Coast Guard seizes over 4,500 pounds of cocaine worth $34M from suspected narco-terrorist vessel on Easter

The U.S. Coast Guard seized much than 4,500 pounds of cocaine worthy astir $34 cardinal from a suspected narco-terrorist vas successful the Eastern Pacific connected Easter Sunday, officials said.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba was alerted by a maritime patrol craft that the unit of a suspected narco-terrorist vas was throwing contraband overboard.

The Coast Guard deployed an MH-65 Dolphin chopper aircrew to analyse the vessel, which was operating disconnected the seashore of Manta, Ecuador.

DHS said the Escanaba unit deployed a cutter pursuit vessel and recovered much than 4,510 pounds of cocaine.

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Coast Guard crews intercepted a suspected narco-terrorist vas and seized thousands of pounds of cocaine, officials said. (Department of Homeland Security)

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the betterment was portion of Operation Pacific Viper, a Coast Guard counter-drug cognition launched successful August 2025 successful the Eastern Pacific.

"Operation Pacific Viper plays a cardinal portion of President Trump’s combat against the cartels astatine sea, cutting disconnected their quality to marque wealth by trafficking their poison into our country," Mullin said successful a statement. "This cognition has already seized implicit 215,000 pounds of cocaine and has arrested implicit 160 suspected narco-traffickers."

U.S. Coast Guard crews show seized cocaine pursuing a counter-drug cognition successful the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (Department of Homeland Security)

He added, "The brave men and women of the Coast Guard are redeeming American lives by keeping these deadly drugs retired of our communities and disconnected our streets."

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The U.S. Coast Guard seized much than 4,500 pounds of cocaine from a suspected narco-terrorist vas successful the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (Department of Homeland Security)

DHS said the Coast Guard’s efforts to disrupt cause trafficking successful the Eastern Pacific are a cardinal portion of the Trump administration’s inaugural to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle transnational transgression organizations.

Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard has seized much than 215,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended much than 160 suspected narco-traffickers.

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The U.S. Coast Guard seized cocaine valued astatine astir $34 cardinal during an cognition successful the Eastern Pacific, officials said. (U.S. Coast Guard)

According to DHS, the cognition included the Coast Guard's largest cause seizure successful its history, erstwhile it recovered much than 76,000 pounds of amerciable drugs successful August 2025, valued astatine $473 million.

The Coast Guard besides seized astir 50,000 pounds of illicit drugs successful November 2025, valued astatine $362 cardinal — the largest magnitude of cocaine ever seized by a azygous Coast Guard cutter.