The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba offloaded approximately 7,050 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $53 million on Monday at Port Everglades, following interdictions in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The seizures stemmed from two separate maritime operations targeting drug smuggling routes used by transnational criminal organizations. The Coast Guard said the interdictions were carried out in coordination with multiple units, including Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron teams, Joint Interagency Task Force South, and watchstanders from the Coast Guard’s Southeast and Southwest Districts.
“The crew’s achievements on this patrol reflect the very best of our service—courage, vigilance, and an unshakeable commitment to protecting the American people,” said Cmdr. Nicholas Seniuk, commanding officer of the Escanaba. “Every pound of narcotics kept off our streets represents lives changed, violence prevented, and communities made safer.”
The Coast Guard described the operation as part of a broader surge in counter-narcotics activity across maritime transit zones, noting that the vast majority of drug interdictions bound for the United States occur at sea.
Officials said such operations are critical in disrupting cartel supply chains, which also contribute to the production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl.
According to the agency, it has seized more than 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025—more than triple its annual average—through sustained maritime enforcement efforts, including intensified operations under “Operation Pacific Viper.” Since the launch of that initiative in August, the Coast Guard says it has seized more than 215,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended 160 suspected traffickers.
The agency credited interagency coordination and international cooperation as key to identifying and tracking suspected smuggling vessels before conducting interdictions at sea.
Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea fall under the Coast Guard’s Southeast District in Miami, while those in the Eastern Pacific are managed through the Southwest District in Alameda, California.
The Escanaba, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, operates under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.
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