Coast Guard seizes thousands of kilos of cocaine and arrests 11 suspected drug traffickers with DHS 'Operation Pacific Viper'

The U.S. Coast Guard has stepped up its efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration in the Eastern Pacific with the launch of "Operation Pacific Viper," an initiative aimed at interdicting drugs and smugglers before they reach U.S. shores.

This operation, backed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Donald Trump Administration, seeks to dismantle the networks of cartels and criminal organizations operating in the region.

According to the DHS, 80% of illicit drug seizures are made at sea, which has led the Coast Guard to strengthen its maritime interdictions. Since the start of the operation, multiple vessels have been intercepted, resulting in the seizure of more than 10,297 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of 11 suspected drug traffickers in a series of operations conducted between August 8 and 19, 2025.

On August 8, the Cutter Hamilton intercepted a vessel south of Mexico, seizing more than 1,814 kilograms of cocaine and arresting three suspected smugglers.

Three days later, on August 11, a Law Enforcement Detail (LEDET) aboard the U.S. Navy's USS Sampson chased another suspicious vessel in the same region. The drug traffickers attempted to dump their cargo and flee, but the LEDET disabled the vessel's engine with gunfire from a helicopter, resulting in the arrest of two people and the seizure of 600 kilograms of cocaine.

The Cutter Stone also played a key role in the operation. On August 16, south of the Galapagos Islands, it disabled another vessel with gunfire on the engine from a helicopter, arresting three suspected drug traffickers and seizing 1,590 kilograms of cocaine.

The following day, the same vessel intercepted another vessel, arresting three more smugglers and seizing 1,814 kilograms of cocaine. Finally, on August 19, the Cutter Stone seized 1,367 kilograms of cocaine from a suspect vessel, while a boat launched from the USCGC Venturous recovered 340 kilograms of cocaine dumped in the water.