Coast Guard, CBP Seize Massive Drug Shipments

U.S. maritime and border agencies recently disrupted large drug-smuggling operations both at sea and on the land border. The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than 21,000 pounds of cocaine from four at-sea interdictions during Operation Pacific Viper, seizures officials value at roughly $150–156 million, with the Cutter Midgett leading operations supported by the Navy, CBP, FBI, DEA and ICE. Separately, CBP’s San Diego field office reported nearly 10,000 pounds of narcotics seized in August—about $24 million in drugs across roughly 155 incidents—and more than $340,000 in unreported currency, including major seizures at Otay Mesa, Tecate, Calexico and San Ysidro. CBP also reported a separate Texas seizure at the Roma International Bridge of 1,473.65 pounds of methamphetamine worth about $13.17 million hidden in a commercial shipment of carbonated soft drinks. Officials said these maritime and land interdictions, using canine teams, computer alerts and interagency cooperation, aim both to keep lethal drugs off U.S. streets and to disrupt cartel revenue streams.