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Coast Guard Says Pacific Surge Nets 150,000 Pounds of Cocaine as New Video Shows Shots Fired

Interagency detection enables a surge of maritime assets that is producing record-scale interdictions.

Overview

  • The service reported more than 150,000 pounds seized since early August under Operation Pacific Viper in the Eastern Pacific.
  • On Dec. 2, Cutter Munro used disabling fire to stop a heavily laden go-fast and seized over 20,000 pounds, the largest at-sea bust since 2007.
  • Newly released footage shows a helicopter crew firing toward an alleged smuggling boat; the Coast Guard did not detail the boat crew’s status.
  • November actions included four seizures by Cutter James totaling 19,819 pounds and an offload by Cutter Stone of about 49,010 pounds in Florida.
  • The Coast Guard cites JIATF-South detection with Coast Guard law-enforcement control and estimates more than $1.1 billion in denied revenue, noting about 80% of U.S.-bound drug seizures occur at sea.