US Coast Guard Offloads Over 28,500 Pounds Of Cocaine At Port Everglades

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Thetis offloaded more than 28,500 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of $211.3 million, following multiple drug interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The offloading took place at Port Everglades on May 29, 2025.

The drug seizures came from four separate operations by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter team from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Officials praised the crew for their hard work during the patrol. They said stopping illegal drugs from reaching the streets helps save lives. The crew’s ability to keep an aging cutter operational and successful during these missions was also recognised.

The first seizure happened on May 3, when a patrol aircraft spotted two suspicious vessels about 170 miles west of Mexico. The Thetis crew intercepted these vessels and seized 4,630 pounds of cocaine. Later, 4,608 pounds were handed over to the Ecuadorian government to help with legal action.

On May 5, the helicopter crew aboard the Thetis spotted a bale field roughly 475 miles southwest of Colima, Mexico. The crew recovered 9,993 pounds of cocaine from this location.

#Breaking The crew of @USCG Cutter Thetis offloaded more than 28,500 pounds of cocaine worth more than $211 million at @PortEverglades, Thursday. #CounterDrugOps #USCG #DrugBust #LawEnforcement

Read : https://t.co/wxSlEeCd5v@DHSgov @USAO_SDTX @HSIHouston pic.twitter.com/LmlBRIxrzb

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) May 29, 2025

The next day, May 6, the helicopter detected two suspicious vessels about 575 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, throwing drug bales overboard. Although a storm caused the crew to lose sight of these vessels, they were guided to three bale fields where they recovered 14,559 pounds of cocaine.

Finally, on May 10, the Thetis crew discovered another bale field approximately 660 miles south of Acapulco. From there, they retrieved 3,984 pounds of cocaine.

This series of interdictions was supported by multiple agencies. The Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S), based in Key West, played a key role in detecting and monitoring illegal drug movements by air and sea.

Once an interdiction operation was confirmed, the U.S. Coast Guard took control to conduct the law enforcement and apprehension activities. The Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California, manages interdiction missions in the Eastern Pacific.

Reference: USCG

Source: Maritime Shipping News