Coast Guard Seizes Over 260,000 Pounds of Cocaine in Pacific Operation
The U.S. Coast Guard has confiscated more than 260,000 pounds of cocaine in the eastern Pacific since launching Operation Pacific Viper.
Operation Pacific Viper, initiated in August 2025 as part of expanded border-security measures, has enabled the U.S. Coast Guard to seize about 119,165 kilograms—more than 262,000 pounds—of cocaine in the eastern Pacific. In the latest week, three interdictions south of Costa Rica and Panama yielded 25,256 pounds, with the cutter Tampa deploying a boat and helicopter to board and sink a go-fast vessel and to capture two additional ships.
Admiral Kevin Lunday emphasized that the Coast Guard is “owning the sea” and denying drug traffickers critical routes. The missions operate under U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South and the Southwest District headquartered in Alameda. The Department of Homeland Security estimates the seized cocaine could have killed up to 9.5 million people using a 1.2-gram lethal dose metric, or 3.9 billion using a 30-milligram metric. Other agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, are also reporting record drug seizures this fiscal year.
