MIAMI, FLORIDA – The U.S. Coast Guard set a new record Wednesday when the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Stone unloaded more than 49,000 pounds of cocaine—worth more than $362 million—at Port Everglades, the most cocaine ever seized by a single cutter in one patrol.
The large offload is the result of 15 interdictions carried out in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which is known as one of the world’s most active maritime drug corridors.
The commanding officer of Cutter Stone, Capt. Anne O’Connell, lauded her crew’s work during the record-breaking deployment.
“This offload demonstrates our increased posture and continued success in the fight against narco-terrorism and transnational criminal organizations,” O’Connell told reporters.
The interdictions were carried out in collaboration with a variety of assets and agencies, including the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron Jacksonville, the Joint Interagency Task Force-South, and watchstanders from the Coast Guard Southeast and Southwest Districts.
Approximately 80% of drugs destined for the United States are apprehended at sea, highlighting the necessity of maritime policing.
Officials say the seizures deal a significant blow to cartels, depriving criminal networks of more than half a billion dollars in illicit revenue while providing critical intelligence for ongoing investigations into Panama Express, a long-running multi-agency operation aimed at top-level traffickers.
The record-breaking patrol was carried out as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a program aimed at speeding up counter-drug missions across the Eastern Pacific to prevent the flow of cocaine and precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.
USCGC Stone is one of four Legend-class national security cutters stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, and reports to the US Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.
