The crew of the US Coast Guard national security cutter USCGC Stone offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds (20,700 kg) of illicit narcotics worth more than US$517.5 million at Port Everglades, Florida, on Thursday, March 20.
The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in US courts.
In one notable case, Stone's crew interdicted four go-fast vessels in 15 minutes, seizing nearly 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) of cocaine.
Stone and its crew were involved in six successful interdictions since December 2024. Some of the offloaded narcotics were from two separate seizures by the medium endurance cutter USCGC Mohawk.
Other units that participated in the interdictions are Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team-Pacific (PAC-TACLET), Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATFS), and Eleventh Coast Guard District.
The coast guard said that each of these interdictions initiates criminal investigations by federal law enforcement partners. Several were tied to the transnational criminal organisations responsible.