U.S. Coast Guard Reports Record Cocaine Seizures as Trump Administration Expands Military Strikes on Drug Cartels
The U.S. Coast Guard has announced a record-breaking drug seizure operation in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Since early August, more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine have been confiscated — averaging over 1,600 pounds per day.
According to officials, 86 suspected traffickers were detained as part of Operation Pacific Viper, an intensified anti-narcotics campaign targeting smuggling routes from Central and South America.
“The Coast Guard’s seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine in such a short period is a remarkable achievement,” said Rear Admiral Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.
“When we say we are ramping up counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime forces are sweeping drug routes across the eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks.”
Military Strikes and Political Context
The Coast Guard’s announcement coincides with new military actions by the Trump administration targeting suspected narcotrafficking vessels.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. military had carried out a deadly strike on a vessel allegedly transporting narcotics in international waters off Venezuela, killing six people described by the administration as “narco-terrorists.”
“Under my authority as Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense this morning ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel tied to a designated terrorist organization (DTO) operating within the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — near the coast of Venezuela,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The strike marks at least the fifth such operation since September, reflecting a broader shift in the administration’s anti-narcotics strategy. Earlier this month, official documents to Congress stated that the United States is engaged in a ‘non-international armed conflict’ with drug cartels, establishing a legal framework for the use of military force.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the actions, stating:
“Our intelligence confirmed without a doubt that the vessel was transporting narcotics, its crew were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known trafficking route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people stop.”
Criticism and Legal Concerns
Legal and human rights experts have questioned the lawfulness of using military force against suspected traffickers instead of traditional maritime law enforcement methods.
Daphne Eviatar, Director of Security and Human Rights at Amnesty International USA, condemned the strikes as “unlawful killings” and warned of a dangerous precedent.
“The Trump administration has no legal justification for using U.S. armed forces to kill anyone it unilaterally labels a ‘terrorist,’” she said.
“These airstrikes flagrantly violate international law and set a perilous precedent for other world leaders.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump criticized the Coast Guard’s interdiction methods, calling them “completely ineffective” compared to direct military action.
Interagency Coordination and the Role of the Coast Guard
Despite political tensions, the U.S. Coast Guard remains the nation’s lead maritime drug interdiction agency, conducting the majority of high-seas narcotics seizures.
Operations are coordinated with the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) under U.S. Southern Command, based in Key West, Florida, which tracks maritime and aerial smuggling routes.
Once a target is identified, operational control is transferred to the Coast Guard, which carries out interdictions, arrests, and drug seizures.
Field operations in the eastern Pacific are managed by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Command, headquartered in Alameda, California.
The Coast Guard continues to emphasize that successful counter-narcotics operations depend on international cooperation and sustained maritime presence to disrupt trafficking routes and safeguard global security.
