A United States Coast Guard cutter intercepted a drug-smuggling vessel in August 2026, seizing $54.5 million in cocaine and arresting five suspected smugglers. Coast Guard officials said the interdiction demonstrated an aggressive approach to countering transnational criminal organization (TCO) efforts to funnel drugs into the U.S.
The cutter Richard Dixon, in tandem with U.S Customs and Border Protection aircraft, located the boat about 80 kilometers south of Puerto Rico. On board was 3,289 kilograms of cocaine. “This interdiction shows what ready crews and strong interagency partnerships can achieve in the maritime domain,” Coast Guard Southeast District Commander Adm. Adam Chamie said in a Coast Guard news release. “The Richard Dixon crew, Air Station Miami and our Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations partners stopped more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine before it could reach our communities, and we will keep taking the fight to the criminal networks that threaten our region.”
The cocaine was packaged in five bales in an open wooden vessel. After detaining the smuggler, the boat was burned at sea because it posed a risk to navigation, the Coast Guard said.
“An outstanding team effort thanks to seamless coordination with Coast Guard and CBP air assets, cutter Richard Dixon was in the right place at the right time to stop a major shipment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael D. Torgesen, the Richard Dixon’s commanding officer. “I’m constantly humbled by my crew’s dedication and am proud to serve alongside them as we strike a direct blow against transnational smuggling operations and protect the nation’s maritime borders in the Caribbean.”
The seizure near Puerto Rico continues a successful year for the Coast Guard.
- In June, the Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper achieved the milestone of seizing 120,000 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Region since its inception in August 2025.
- In June, cutters Joseph Tezanos and Isaac Mayo confiscated nine bales of cocaine that weighed about 237 kilograms and worth nearly $5 million aboard a barge traveling to San Juan.
- In May, the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Investigations recovered 227 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $6 million in the Port of Los Angeles.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in June praised the Coast Guard’s efforts at protecting U.S. citizens from TCO activity, noting that Congress recently passed the largest appropriation for the agency since World War II. That 2025 legislation included $14.1 billion for new cutters, $3.7 billion for new aircraft and $6 billion earmarked for infrastructure needs.