The Coast Guard has seized an unprecedented 40,000 pounds of cocaine in the eastern Pacific, releasing striking images of crew members standing watch over a burning vessel — a vivid testament to the heightened campaign against drug trafficking, CBS News reported.
In its most ambitious effort yet, the Coast Guard has confiscated 40,000 pounds of cocaine in the world’s largest ocean in a monthlong surge under Operation Pacific Viper, officials announced Thursday.
The series of operations included more than a dozen interceptions since Aug. 8, resulting in the arrest of 36 suspected drug smugglers and an average interdiction of over 1,600 pounds of cocaine per day.
The Coast Guard credited the operation’s early success to coordination across cutters, aircraft, and tactical teams.
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Douglas Schofield, acting deputy commandant for operations, said, “We are leveraging our full range of capabilities to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and cartels and prevent the scourge of illicit drugs from reaching our communities.”
Officials did not say what caused the vessel’s fire.
