Coast Guard offloads record drug haul at Port Everglades

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday offloaded 76,140 pounds of illegal narcotics at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the largest drug offload in its history. The seizures, totaling more than 38 tons of cocaine and marijuana, were accumulated from 19 interdictions conducted in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean over several months. The drugs were brought ashore by the cutter Hamilton and will be used as evidence in ongoing prosecutions, marking a landmark achievement in maritime counterdrug operations.

Officials said the haul comprised about 61,740 pounds of cocaine and roughly 14,400 pounds of marijuana, with a cumulative estimated value of around $473 million. Visuals released by the Coast Guard showed bundles being dumped from a small boat as pursuing crews closed in, illustrating the high-stakes nature of the interdiction campaign. The operation illustrates the Coast Guard’s persistent efforts to disrupt narcotics trafficking before it reaches U.S. shores, a mission pursued in close coordination with federal, defense and international partners.

Rear Admiral Adam Chamie, commander of Coast Guard Southeast, acknowledged the scale and danger of the work. He noted that...