US arrests nine people and seizes nearly three tons of cocaine in an operation near Colombia

The United States continues its anti-drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. While the military maintains its strategy of bombing suspected drug-running boats, the Coast Guard is opting for more traditional operations to intercept vessels. On May 8, the Coast Guard cutter Tahoma interdicted three vessels suspected of drug smuggling near Colombian waters, and carrying approximately 6,085 pounds (2,760 kilograms) of cocaine valued at $45.8 million, according to a statement from U.S. Southern Command. Agents arrested nine people who have been turned over to U.S. authorities.

The operation took place about 90 nautical miles off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. “This seizure represents 2.3 million potentially lethal doses of cocaine that will not reach American streets,” the U.S. Coast Guard stated.

The crew of the Tahoma, a 270-foot medium-range vessel, used two small boats and several Coast Guard helicopters to intercept the three vessels. One of them refused to cooperate. The Coast Guard deployed snipers who fired from the helicopters at the engines to force it to stop. The crew of that narco-boat jumped overboard.

The Coast Guard deployed life jackets and rescued the suspected smugglers without causing any harm. The other two vessels stopped after receiving warnings from the Coast Guard. A total of nine people were arrested in the operation.

“This interdiction prevented a significant number of illegal narcotics from reaching America’s shores,” said Commander Nolan Cuevas, commanding officer of the Tahoma, in a statement.

“Eighty percent of interdictions of U.S.-bound drugs occur at sea,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement, adding: “This underscores the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat.”

The Tahoma was scheduled to unload approximately 8,185 pounds (3,712 kilograms) of narcotics, valued at nearly $61.6 million, at Port Everglades on Thursday in connection with its operations in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military continues its airstrikes against drug-running boats. Last week it conducted its third attack against suspected drug-running boats in less than five days. As a result of the strikes two people were killed, while another survived the attack in the eastern Pacific, according to a post by U.S. Southern Command on the social media platform X.

Since the United States launched Operation Southern Spear to combat alleged drug trafficking, the military has carried out a total of 57 attacks in Caribbean and Pacific waters without judicial authorization and with question marks about their legality. At least 192 people have been killed.

The United States has established a military blockade in the waters of the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, with a large presence of Coast Guard cutters and Navy ships monitoring for suspicious vessels and drug-running boats. The Coast Guard reports that it has seized more than 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025 – over three times the Service’s annual average.

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