The United States Coast Guard (USCG) achieved a historic milestone in Operation Pacific Viper, a military action targeting drug trafficking along the Pacific coast of the Americas.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper has surpassed more than 225,000 pounds of cocaine seized in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since the operation first began in August of 2025, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller. (RELATED: Watch US Coast Guard Blow Up A ‘Drug Boat’ At Sea)
“We own the sea,” Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard, wrote in a statement to the Caller. “Our forces conducting Operation Pacific Viper continue to defeat the cartels and stop the flow of deadly drugs to the United States.”
U.S. Coast Guard crews offload seized cocaine following an Eastern Pacific interdiction as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a sustained effort targeting maritime drug trafficking routes from Central and South America.
The milestone came after the USCG Cutter Bear interdicted 7,707 pounds of cocaine during a recent operation. While patrolling the Eastern Pacific over the weekend, the Bear—along with an embarked helicopter crew—tracked and stopped two suspected drug-smuggling boats. The crews disabled both vessels, resulting in a major drug seizure and the arrest of six alleged narco-traffickers.
The operation highlights the Coast Guard’s continued efforts to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking networks operating out of Latin America. (RELATED: ‘Shadow Fleet’ Captain Admits To Fleeing Coast Guard In Weeks-Long Pursuit)
A seizure of 1.2 grams of cocaine is often described as representing a potentially lethal dose, meaning the total amount taken off the streets in Operation Pacific Viper translates to over 93 million such potentially deadly doses prevented from reaching the public.
“Operation Pacific Viper stands as a decisive force against narco-terrorists, sending an unmistakable message that we will not allow them to profit off the poisoning of our people,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a statement to the Caller.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel recover and secure illicit narcotics during a maritime interdiction in the Eastern Pacific as part of Operation Pacific Viper, aimed at disrupting drug smuggling routes bound for the United States.
“The U.S. Coast Guard has prevented more than 225,000 pounds of cocaine from reaching American communities since our operation began. Under President Trump, we are dismantling drug cartels and saving American lives.”
Officials also note that roughly 80 percent of narcotics destined for the United States are intercepted at sea, highlighting how critical maritime operations are in disrupting trafficking routes and limiting the flow of drugs before they reach land.
Since it began, Operation Pacific Viper has stepped up counter-narcotics missions across the Eastern Pacific, a major trafficking route used to move drugs from Central and South America. The Coast Guard has deployed additional cutters, aircraft, and specialized teams to intercept shipments, seize narcotics, and disrupt smuggling networks. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Coast Guard Seizes More Than $33,000,000 Worth Of Cocaine In Single Drug Bust)
The operations are part of a wider effort by the U.S. to counter narco-terrorism and break apart transnational criminal organizations. The seizure of thousands of pounds of cocaine under the operation underscores the aggressive maritime enforcement along key smuggling corridors in the region.