The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded over 48,000 pounds of seized illegal drugs worth more than $509 million on Wednesday morning, April 9, at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
The haul came from 13 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean, conducted by crews aboard the Coast Guard cutters James and Mohawk, according to federal officials.
Top Officials Applaud Operation
Present at the offload were Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Vice Admiral Nathan Moore, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area.
“This is a textbook example of the Justice Department supporting the fight against violent crime,” Bondi said.
“These drugs are worth over half a billion dollars — almost 45,000 pounds of pure, uncut cocaine and 3,800 pounds of marijuana. Congratulations again to the Coast Guard. You have done admirable work.”
Bondi explained that drones, aircraft, and ships were used to intercept suspected traffickers near Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands.
“What they did saved countless American lives,” she said. “This cocaine would have been distributed throughout our country, perhaps the world.”
Bondi identified the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels as being deeply involved in the trafficking effort.
“This is a major blow to their financial operations,” she stated. “It’s an example of a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach to stopping these criminal enterprises in their tracks.”
Feds Call Cartels ‘Foreign Terrorist Organizations’
Patel emphasized the Trump administration’s stance, labeling the drug traffickers as foreign terrorist organizations.
“There is no lethal force on planet Earth more responsible for overdose deaths of American citizens every seven minutes,” Patel said.
“We’re going to lock them up. They will no longer be free to roam. We will dismantle the ‘next man up’ theory that has fueled these cartels for generations. No more.”
Impact Beyond the Bust
Vice Admiral Moore praised the work of the crews aboard the Mohawk and James, stressing the broader impact of their efforts.
“They seized $510 million in illegal drugs before it could reach the U.S. border,” he said.
“That means 154 lives saved from cocaine-related overdose deaths. It means 11,000 fewer new cocaine users. It means saving at least $16.5 million in costs tied to inmate care and healthcare for those affected.”
Third Major South Florida Drug Offload This Year
This was the Coast Guard’s third major offload in South Florida in 2025.
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On March 20, nearly 46,000 pounds of illegal drugs from 14 interdictions were offloaded. The operation, also in the eastern Pacific, involved cutters Stone and Mohawk, and led to 34 arrests.
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On March 6, the Coast Guard brought in over 12,000 pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $141 million, to its Miami Beach station. Using planes, thermal imaging, and speed boats, agents seized the drugs in six interdictions, detaining more than a dozen suspected smugglers.
