US Coast Guard Offloads 19,000 Pounds Of Cocaine Worth $214M In San Diego

The US Coast Guard offloaded nearly 18,900 pounds of cocaine in San Diego on April 24, 2025.

The seized drugs, worth over $214.3 million, were brought to shore by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756).

This massive drug haul was the result of six separate interdictions involving suspected smuggling vessels.

These operations took place between February and April and were carried out off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Both the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and the Coast Guard Cutter Forward participated in these missions.

The operations were part of a coordinated international effort to combat transnational organised crime at sea.

Several US agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security, were involved in the effort.

Today, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756) offloaded 18,898 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $214.3 million. This offload is the result of six drug interdictions executed by the crews of Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and Coast Guard Cutter Forward… pic.twitter.com/srHfO4pKVN

— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) April 24, 2025

Video Credits: USCG/X

The Coast Guard worked alongside the US Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Durg Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as international and allied partner agencies.

Officials stated that tackling drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific requires teamwork at every level-from detecting suspicious vessels and tracking their movements to boarding, seizing the drugs, and prosecuting those responsible.

The law enforcement operations were conducted under the authority of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, based in Alameda, California.

According to the Coast Guard, their crews led and carried out all interdictions and boardings during this mission.

They said that their continued efforts to seize and disrupt the maritime movement of cocaine and other illegal drugs play a crucial role in dismantling the operations of cartels and transnational criminal organisations.

These groups are also believed to be behind the trafficking of illegal fentanyl, which remains a growing threat in the US.

The Cutter Kimball, one of two legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, is specifically designed to handle high-stakes missions in challenging open-ocean environments.

Its crew operates in the vast waters of the Southern Pacific, a region that sees significant trafficking activity.

Reference: USCG

Source: Maritime Shipping News