MIAMI, USA – The US Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun offloaded approximately 19,055 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, valued at an estimated $140.9 million, at Port Everglades on Friday.
This significant seizure stemmed from five successful interdictions in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, coordinated with interagency partners. The investigations reveal connections to major transnational criminal organizations, including the foreign terrorist group Tren de Aragua.
On April 12, Calhoun’s crew, guided by Coast Guard Atlantic Area, spotted a suspicious fishing vessel in international waters about 1,200 miles west of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The crew intercepted the vessel, resulting in the seizure of approximately 10,000 pounds of cocaine.
On May 1, a military patrol aircraft detected another suspicious vessel roughly 100 miles off Colombia. A Coast Guard enforcement team deployed from another vessel successfully seized approximately 1,500 pounds of cocaine.
Following that, on May 5, the crew intercepted a vessel 80 miles off the Dominican Republic, seizing around 825 pounds of cocaine.
The next day, on May 6, Calhoun’s crew interdicted a suspicious vessel 85 miles off Haiti, seizing approximately 3,135 pounds of cocaine and 14 pounds of marijuana.
Finally, on May 7, a military patrol aircraft located two suspicious vessels about 155 miles off the Dominican Republic, leading to the seizure of approximately 3,580 pounds of cocaine.
“I’m incredibly proud of Calhoun’s role in disrupting the flow of illicit narcotics,” stated the commanding officer of Calhoun. “The Coast Guard and our partners are dedicated to denying drug trafficking organizations access to smuggling routes bound for the United States and dismantling transnational criminal activities that threaten the safety of Americans.”
Supporting these interdictions were assets such as the Seventh Coast Guard District watchstanders and US Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team-South.
Coordinating the detection and interception of illicit drug traffickers on the high seas requires robust interagency and international collaboration. The Joint Interagency Task Force-South, located in Key West, monitors both aerial and maritime drug transit. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, operations are handed over to the US Coast Guard for apprehension and enforcement. Operations in the Caribbean Sea are conducted under the jurisdiction of the Seventh Coast Guard District based in Miami.
These actions are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces’ Strike Force initiatives that target high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a multi-agency, intelligence-led approach.
Calhoun, commissioned in 2024, serves as the newest 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter based in North Charleston, South Carolina, with primary missions focused on counter-drug operations and defense readiness.
