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The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced the successful interdiction of 100,000 pounds of cocaine through Operation Pacific Viper, a months-long international effort targeting transnational criminal organizations operating in the Eastern Pacific.
The operation is a surge in Coast Guard forces to the Eastern Pacific aimed at stopping cartels and transnational criminal organizations before their drugs and human smuggling operations reach U.S. shores, the Coast Guard said in an Oct. 14 release. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Operation Pacific Viper has averaged about 1,600 pounds of cocaine interdicted daily, resulting in 34 total interdictions since its launch.
“Operation Pacific Viper has proven to be a crucial weapon in the fight against foreign drug traffickers and cartels in Latin America and has sent a clear message that we will disrupt, dismantle, and destroy their deadly business exploits wherever we find it,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “In cutting off the flow of these deadly drugs, the Coast Guard is saving countless American lives and delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Safe Again and reestablish our maritime dominance.”
In August, Operation Pacific Viper yielded the Coast Guard’s largest-ever drug offload, when the USCGC Hamilton offloaded more than 76,000 pounds of illegal drugs, valued at $473 million, at Port Everglades—including approximately 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana.
A U.S. Coast Guard crew member offloads seized cocaine in San Diego following Operation Pacific Viper in the Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Coast Guard)
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‘A global logistics enterprise’
To better understand the scope of the cocaine trade and what such seizures mean for national security, Fox News Digital spoke with Spencer Coursen, a threat management specialist and former U.S. Army Ranger and Special Deputy Marshal. Coursen explained that most cocaine bound for the U.S. originates along Colombia’s Pacific coast, with routes often passing through Ecuador, Peru or Venezuela before moving north via the Caribbean, Mexico or increasingly the Pacific corridor.
People flock to Windansea Beach along the La Jolla coast on May 10, 2025, in San Diego, California. The Coast Guard has been targeting drug traffickers who have been sending narcotics toward American shores. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
As law enforcement efforts tightened along traditional routes, cartels shifted west, taking advantage of the vastness of the Pacific to evade detection.
“They’re not street gangs,” Coursen said. “They’re global logistics enterprises that rival Amazon, vertically integrated from jungle production to port distribution. They have infrastructure, surveillance, counter-surveillance and billions in cash and weapons to protect their routes.”
The U.S. Coast Guard approaches a suspected smuggling vessel in the Pacific Ocean during Operation Pacific Viper, part of ongoing efforts to disrupt cartel maritime networks. (U.S. Coast Guard)
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Coursen said that while the operation’s success spotlights the Coast Guard’s vigilance, it also gives a glimpse into the sheer scale and sophistication of the narcotics trade.
“Every win is great,” Coursen said. “But every win is also an insight into just how much cocaine is being moved. The most recent estimates show 3,000 to 4,000 tons a year—about six million pounds. So even massive interdictions like this are only scratching the surface.”
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter patrols the Eastern Pacific during Operation Pacific Viper, part of the service’s ongoing mission to intercept drug trafficking vessels at sea. (U.S. Coast Guard)
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Coursen warned that despite major seizures like Operation Pacific Viper, cartels’ vast resources allow them to absorb losses and continue operations.
“If nine out of 10 shipments are seized, they’re still making a profit,” he said. “Each one is insured by scale. To them, it’s a tariff—just the cost of doing business.”
He added that the U.S. remains the largest consumer of cocaine globally, accounting for an estimated 40% of worldwide demand.
Despite the success of Operation Pacific Viper, Coursen said that interdiction alone will not solve the scope of the problem.
“It’s an enormous challenge,” he said. “But every interdiction is a win for national security, and for the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to make it happen.”