Watch: U.S. Interdicts $45.8 Million Cocaine Load In Rare Triple Interdiction Off Colombia
The crew of the USCGC Tahoma intercepted three suspected drug-smuggling vessels carrying around 6,085 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $45.8 million during an operation about 90 miles off Cartagena, Colombia, on May 8.
The US Coast Guard said the seizure stopped nearly 2.3 million potentially lethal doses of cocaine from reaching the United States.
Tahoma’s crew deployed two small boats along with an aircrew from the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and managed to stop all three vessels during the same operation.
One of the vessels did not stop when ordered. The helicopter crew then used aerial force tactics, including precision sniper fire aimed at the boat’s engines, to force it to stop.
The suspected smugglers onboard jumped into the water during the incident. The aircrew dropped personal flotation devices and the people were rescued without injuries.
The other two vessels stopped after being directed by Coast Guard crews.
Relentless operations to stop narco-terrorism.@USCGSoutheast crews aboard CGC Tahoma and an embarked helicopter seized approximately 6,085 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $45.8 million Saturday after stopping three vessels off the coast of Colombia. The interdiction required… pic.twitter.com/5unto8ycBr
— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) May 14, 2026
Cmdr. Nolan Cuevas, commanding officer of Tahoma, said the operation showed the professionalism and coordination of the crews involved.
He said the interdiction prevented a large quantity of illegal narcotics from reaching American shores and praised the teamwork between the cutter crew and aviation units.
Cuevas also said the operation required extensive training, planning, logistics and coordination between different agencies.
Tahoma’s crew is expected to offload around 8,185 pounds of narcotics worth nearly $61.6 million at Port Everglades on Thursday.
The operation involved several Coast Guard and interagency units, including the Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders and the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron.
The latest seizure continues an intensified US maritime counter-narcotics campaign across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.
According to the Coast Guard, the service has seized more than 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025, more than three times its annual average.
The Coast Guard said the operations are also part of accelerated counter-narcotics missions under Operation Pacific Viper aimed at disrupting the movement of bulk illegal drugs by sea and cutting revenue streams for criminal organisations.
US authorities said around 80% of drugs heading to the United States are intercepted at sea, making maritime interdiction operations a key part of counter-narcotics enforcement.
The Joint Interagency Task Force South, based in Key West, handles the detection and monitoring of suspected drug-trafficking movements through maritime and aerial routes.
Once an interdiction operation begins, the US Coast Guard takes control of the law enforcement phase, including vessel interception and arrests.
Interdiction operations in the Caribbean Sea are conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard Southeast District headquartered in Miami.
USCGC Tahoma
The USCGC Tahoma is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island and operates under the US Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.
The vessel entered service in 1988 after being built at Derecktor Shipyards in Middletown, Rhode Island.
It is the third Coast Guard cutter to carry the name Tahoma, referring to Mount Rainier, the highest peak in the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest.
The cutter is also known by the nickname “Mighty T”, a name previously used by an earlier Tahoma cutter that served during the Second World War.
Reference: US Southcom
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