The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloads more than 76,140 lbs of illicit narcotics at Port Everglades, Florida, on August 25, 2025. This is the largest cocaine offload to date in Coast Guard history, with the assistance of partner agencies, during counterdrug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
Below is a Coast Guard Headquarters news release. The question this report raises is why the big jump? Have we employed more resources? Do we have better intelligence? Better Air Search? Has the amount smuggled increased dramatically?
We always knew we could make more interceptions if more cutters were available, but I don’t think the number of cutters assigned has increased dramatically.
Clearly the smugglers have not been deterred from making attempts to meet the demand. Will FY2026 be an even bigger year?
This looks like a place for operations research.
Coast Guard sets historic record with amount of cocaine seized in FY25
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday it seized nearly 510,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean during fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the largest amount in the Service’s history.
On average, the Coast Guard seizes 167,000 pounds of cocaine annually. The amount seized in FY25 is over three times that amount, and equivalent to 193 million potentially lethal doses (1.2 grams), enough to endanger over half of the U.S. population. “The Coast Guard’s top priority is to achieve complete operational control of the U.S. border and maritime approaches,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard. “We own the sea, and this historic amount of cocaine seized shows we are defeating narco-terrorist and cartel operations to protect our communities and keep dangerous drugs off our streets.”
Detecting and interdicting narco-terrorism on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South, based in Key West, Florida, detects and monitors both aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension.
The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction. We are part of the Department of Homeland Security team protecting our nation and are at all times a military service and part of the joint force defending it.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
From what my memory indicates, the patrols are longer I think, flogging the slaves harder thing. The acting commandant also seems to know how the numbers game is played. Might also be more of a supply.
But until we tackle the user side the demand will be there and someone will fill the demand (look at prohibition in the 1920’s or so) and I don’t see any dealing with the users,
But hats off to the CG and the dedication of everyone there
They might also be using drones with a high tech set of sensors on them that would allow more area to be covered.
The CG has been testing and developing drones for several years.
The National Security cutters do all have UAS now. Initially it was Scan Eagle but more recently they were equipped with V-Bat.
Semper Paratus!