Coast Guard Nets Record 510,000 Pounds of Cocaine in Yearlong High-Seas Chase Across Pacific and Caribbean

After a year of high-seas pursuits in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, the U.S. Coast Guard closed out fiscal year 2025 with nearly 510,000 pounds of seized cocaine — its biggest annual haul to date. That total amounts to roughly 193 million “potentially lethal” doses and is more than triple the service’s typical yearly average, according to Baird Maritime, which reproduced the Coast Guard’s figures.

In a Nov. 6 statement, Coast Guard leadership framed the haul as a win for a multi-agency push in the transit zone. “The Coast Guard’s top priority is to achieve complete operational control of the U.S. border and maritime approaches,” Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said. “We own the sea, and this historic amount of cocaine seized shows we are defeating narco‑terrorist and cartel operations to protect our communities and keep dangerous drugs off our streets,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 510,000‑pound figure — more than three times the annual average of about 167,000 pounds — underscores a sharp uptick in maritime interdictions over the 12‑month period, per Baird Maritime.

Operation Pacific Viper and major offloads

The FY25 total was buoyed by a series of stepped‑up operations. In August, the cutter Hamilton offloaded more than 76,000 pounds of suspected narcotics at Port Everglades as part of “Operation Pacific Viper,” an event covered locally by Hoodline.

How detection and interdiction work

Much of the detection happens before a cutter ever closes in. U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force‑South tracks air and maritime traffic in the transit zone; once a target is identified, the Coast Guard takes over the law‑enforcement phase. Those handoffs — along with international partnerships — multiplied the reach of cutters, aircraft and boarding teams throughout FY25, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

HITRON, tactics and milestones

Specialized tactics were part of the push. The Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) hit its 1,000th drug interdiction during the year — an operation that seized roughly 3,600 pounds of cocaine — a milestone documented by DVIDS.

Defense outlets say the surge reflects more cutters, aviation detachments and tactical teams flowing to the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. Military.com noted commanders credited those extra assets for the spike. For communities on U.S. coasts, officials cast the numbers as a major hit to cartel profits and supply chains — while cautioning that seizures are one front in a longer fight against maritime smuggling.