U.S. Coast Guard Captures $53 Million in Contraband from Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea

MIAMI – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba’s crew offloaded approximately 7,050 pounds of cocaine worth more than $53 million, Monday, at Port Everglades.

Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.

The seized contraband resulted from one interdiction in the Caribbean Sea and one in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

“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, Escanaba’s commanding officer.

“Every pound of narcotics kept off our streets represents lives changed, violence prevented, and communities made safer. We couldn’t be prouder of their extraordinary work.”

The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:

• USCGC Escanaba

• Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron

• Joint Interagency Task Force South

• Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders

• Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders

Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba’s offload continues record-setting Coast Guard operations to interdict, seize, and disrupt the transshipment of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea.

These drugs fuel and enable cartels and transnational criminal organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, threatening the U.S.

This includes the Coast Guard’s seizure of over 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025 – over three times the Service’s annual average – as well as accelerated counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific through Operation Pacific Viper.

Since launching this operation in early August, the Coast Guard has seized over 215,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended 160 suspected narco-traffickers.

The Coast Guard’s persistent operations and rapid response have denied criminal organizations billions in illicit revenue and prevented the flow of dangerous drugs into American communities.

80% of interdictions of U.S.-bound drugs occur at sea.

This underscores the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat.

Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination.

Joint Interagency Task Force South, in Key West, conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs.

Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases.

Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard Southeast District, headquartered in Miami.