The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 34 tons of drugs worth about $500 million from ships in the Pacific and Caribbean this summer, the agency’s largest seizure to date.
The Coast Guard worked with the Department of Defense to intercept 19 ships and boats transporting drugs around the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Aruba, the agency said.
Some of the ships were also spotted by aircraft and intercepted by search teams.
The Coast Guard said 34 suspected drug traffickers were arrested in the operation.
The seized drugs were unloaded in Florida, where they contained about 28 tons of cocaine and 6.5 tons of marijuana.
The agency estimated the value of the drugs at about $473 million.
The administration of United States President (US) Donald Trump has promised to reform the Coast Guard and increase the number of soldiers in it by the end of 2028.
