Coast Guard confiscates over 7,000 pounds of cocaine near Puerto Rico, five arrested
The U.S. Coast Guard stopped a vessel about 50 miles off Puerto Rico, seizing roughly 7,250 pounds of cocaine worth $54.5 million and taking five people into custody.
On Aug. 22, the Coast Guard cutter Richard Dixon, working with Customs and Border Protection air-marine operations, intercepted a suspected smuggling boat roughly 50 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico. Investigators recovered an estimated 7,250 pounds of cocaine, valued at about $54.5 million, and seized the vessel, later destroying it because it posed a navigation hazard. Five people aboard were taken into custody, though formal charges have not been disclosed.
Lieutenant Commander Michael D. Torgesen credited seamless coordination between Coast Guard and CBP assets for the operation, and Admiral Adam Chamie said the interdiction demonstrates what ready crews and strong partnerships can achieve in the Caribbean maritime domain. The seizure comes after the agency reported a separate offload of more than 75,000 pounds of illicit narcotics at Port Everglades in Miami earlier this week.
Why it matters
The bust disrupts a major drug shipment and underscores the Coast Guard’s role in protecting U.S. maritime borders.
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