The United States Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba seized 2,046 kilograms of cocaine valued at $33.9 million while patrolling off the coast of Ecuador in April 2026, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release. A U.S. maritime patrol aircraft notified Escanaba that a crew of a suspected narco-terrorist vessel was throwing contraband overboard. An MH-65 Dolphin, launched from the Escanaba, located the suspected drugs near Manta, Ecuador. The cutter then dispatched its over-the-horizon cutter pursuit vessel to coordinate with the helicopter crew to recover the contraband, the release stated. The Escanaba’s interdiction was part of Operation Pacific Viper, launched in August…
The Watch
The Royal Danish Navy came to the aid of a United States submariner who was experiencing a serious health condition during preparations for an Arctic military exercise. The medical transport demonstrated the close collaboration between the allied nations, which jointly defend Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. In late February 2026, during preparations for Ice Camp, an Arctic naval exercise, a Sailor fell seriously ill onboard the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Delaware. The submarine diverted to Greenland where, in coordination with Denmark’s Arctic Joint Command, a Danish naval vessel was dispatched to help the Sailor. The Royal Danish Navy offshore patrol…
A military operation to counter a Mexican transnational criminal organization (TCO) in April 2026 resulted in 10 arrests of a cartel led by a close associate of Joaquín Guzmán, known as “El Chapo,” a notorious cartel kingpin serving a life sentence in a United States federal prison. The operation, carried out by elements of the Mexican Army, National Guard and Navy, also captured guns and ammunition in a rural mountainous region in western Durango state near the border with the neighboring state of Sinaloa. Soldiers, Sailors and Guardsmen apprehended members of Gente del Guano, a TCO led by Aureliano Guzman…
The United Kingdom and Norway led a weekslong military operation to foil a Russian plot to survey undersea cables in the North Atlantic, U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey said on April 9, 2026, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of using the distraction of Middle East conflict to escalate its malign activity against Europe. “To President Putin, I say, we see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences,” Healey said. The defense secretary said a Royal Navy frigate, aircraft and hundreds of…
As The Bahamas approaches the solemn anniversary of its defense force’s only military engagement, the government’s top official said in April 2026 that increased investment to create a larger, more capable force has paid off. Prime Minister Philip Davis, in a recent speech at the Coral Harbour headquarters of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), said the RBDF’s larger military footprint can more effectively secure its vast territorial waters and curb narcotics smuggling and human trafficking. Since 2021, the government has invested more than $100 million in the RBDF, including new coastal fast boat patrol vessels. Enlisted ranks have grown…
In a maritime operation that began in the Pacific Ocean off Michoacán state, Mexico, agents of the Secretariat of the Navy (MARINA), in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, seized a vessel loaded with about 265 kilograms of cocaine worth about $3.25 million. The interdiction on April 8, 2026, prevented more than 530,000 doses of the drug from reaching the street, a MARINA news release said. The operation began after maritime monitoring located the small vessel with an outboard motor about 66 nautical miles northwest of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, and the seizure culminated when…
Norway has unveiled a plan to spend an additional $11.8 billion on its military over the next decade “to ensure the effective development of our defense capabilities in these more dangerous times,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on March 27, 2026. The increase puts the country on track to meet NATO’s military spending target of 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2035. Just two years after the Norwegian Parliament approved a record defense plan of about $170.5 billion over the next 12 years, an updated and expanded version has now been presented, totaling $182.3 billion. “Since we first presented…
Herschel Walker, United States ambassador to The Bahamas, paid a courtesy call in March to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) headquarters in Nassau, a week after he visited there to hand over critical logistic equipment donated by the U.S. He met with Commander of the Defence Force Commodore Floyd Moxey and other members of the RBDF executive leadership on March 19. They discussed shared security interests, cooperation initiatives and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral relations. The visits reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the nations, especially in maritime security and domain awareness, regional stability, and defense collaboration. Commodore Moxey thanked…
A contingent of Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) troops returned home in March 2026 after completing their tour as part of an ongoing U.N. mission in Haiti, the third such RBDF deployment since 2024. The RBDF members were ferried home on United States Department of War aircraft and welcomed on arrival by Bahamian Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, U.S. Embassy Chargé D’ Affaires to The Bahamas Kimberly Furnish, and the RBDF’s commander, Commodore Floyd Moxey, according to the Nassau Guardian, a Bahamian newspaper. “The journey has not been an easy one for all of you and for those who…
A United States interagency task force has funneled more than $500 million this year into efforts to counter unmanned aerial systems, according to the Department of War (DOW). Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF 401), formed less than a year ago, took the lead in coordinating efforts to better track, identify and disable drones as North America prepares for the FIFA World Cup tournament in summer. The task force aims to reduce illegal activities along the southern border between Mexico and the U.S. and advance the nation’s Arctic defense capabilities to defend against enemy drones. “This decisive action demonstrates JIATF 401’s…