Over 50 tons of cocaine seized by US Coast Guard in Pacific since August

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard says that it has seized over 50 tons of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since launching Operation Pacific Viper in early August, averaging nearly a ton daily.

In total, 86 people suspected of narco-trafficking have been arrested as a result of 34 interdictions since early August, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday.

“Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where significant transport of illicit narcotics continues from Central and South America,” officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that it has surged their assets in the region in the past two months in order to “interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs.”

Operation Pacific Viper’s ultimate goal is to counter narco-terrorism seeking to produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States.

“The Coast Guard’s seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine, in such a short timeframe, is a remarkable achievement,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.

“When we say the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is scouring drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks,” Novak continued. “As we mark our interdiction of 100,000 pounds, we are already working towards the next milestone.”

The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction, officials said, and its more than 76,000 members “operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet of more than 220 cutters, 185 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, 1,300 boats and its own dedicated cyber command to protect critical maritime infrastructure,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard.