US Navy, Coast Guard Seize Over 2,400 Pounds Cocaine Across Multiple International Waters

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson, working with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, intercepted a suspected drug smuggling vessel in international waters on August 11, seizing approximately 1,296 pounds of cocaine. The vessel was identified due to indicators such as excess fuel barrels and visible packaged cargo, and after attempts to flee and jettison narcotics failed, disabling fire was used to halt the vessel without causing injuries. Two suspects were taken into custody, and the smuggling vessel was abandoned as it began to sink. Meanwhile, the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands seized nearly 90 kilograms of cocaine hidden in refrigerated meat containers that traveled from Uruguay and Argentina, highlighting common smuggling tactics involving concealment behind motor compartments. In Brazil, the Federal Revenue Service confiscated 48.5 kilograms of cocaine at the Port of Paranaguá, adding to over a thousand kilos seized in the region this year, with investigations ongoing. These incidents underscore the ongoing global efforts and international cooperation to disrupt drug trafficking networks across maritime and port environments.