Coast Guard Seizes $33.9M Cocaine Shipment Off Ecuador in Major Pacific Drug Interdiction
A U.S. Coast Guard operation off the coast of Ecuador has intercepted more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $33.9 million, highlighting the continued intensity of maritime drug trafficking routes feeding the United States.
The seizure was carried out by the USCGC Escanaba during a patrol in the Eastern Pacific near Manta, Ecuador, after intelligence indicated a suspected smuggling vessel was dumping contraband overboard.
According to officials, a maritime patrol aircraft first spotted the activity and alerted the cutter, which then deployed its helicopter and pursuit teams to locate and recover the floating cargo.
The drugs were ultimately recovered from the water and brought aboard the cutter for processing and destruction.
Officials estimated the haul at roughly 4,510 pounds of cocaine, underscoring the scale of single shipments moving through the region’s trafficking corridors.
The seizure was carried out by the USCGC Escanaba during a patrol in the Eastern Pacific near Manta, Ecuador, after intelligence indicated a suspected smuggling vessel was dumping contraband overboard.
According to officials, a maritime patrol aircraft first spotted the activity and alerted the cutter, which then deployed its helicopter and pursuit teams to locate and recover the floating cargo.
The drugs were ultimately recovered from the water and brought aboard the cutter for processing and destruction.
Officials estimated the haul at roughly 4,510 pounds of cocaine, underscoring the scale of single shipments moving through the region’s trafficking corridors.
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