US Seizes 2.7 Tons of Cocaine from 3 Boats off the Coast of Colombia

ILLUSTRATION/US Military/DOK FOTO via Instagram @usnavy

JAKARTA - The United States (US) seized more than 6,000 pounds (2.7 tons) of cocaine worth nearly 46 million US dollars (around Rp808.8 billion) after stopping three ships near the Colombian coast.

"The crew of the Coast Guard ship Tahoma simultaneously intercepted three ships suspected of being used for smuggling and carrying about 6,085 pounds (2.76 tons) of cocaine worth nearly 45.8 million US dollars on May 8, about 90 miles (144.8 kilometers) from Cartagena, Colombia," said a statement from the US Coast Guard.

"This seizure represents 2.3 million doses of potentially lethal cocaine that would not have made it onto American streets," the statement continued.

The operation of the coast guard ship involved two small boats and a helicopter. The two boats suspected of being used by smugglers immediately stopped, while the crew of the third boat refused to comply with the order so that officers used aerial enforcement tactics, including sniper fire aimed at the engine of the ship.

After several shots were fired, a number of people jumped into the sea. The US air crew then dropped several personal flotation devices and there were no casualties in the operation.

The statement also said that 80 percent of the interception of narcotics heading to the US occurred at sea.

On May 4, US forces attacked a boat carrying suspected drug terrorists in the Caribbean Sea and killed two people, according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

Throughout 2025, the US has several times used the military to destroy ships suspected of carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela.

The move drew criticism from a number of US lawmakers who assessed that the Donald Trump administration should provide a more detailed explanation regarding the attack.