Coast Guard brings 30,000 pounds of seized cocaine and marijuana to Broward County port

David Goodhue, Miami Herald on Oct 15, 2026

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MIAMI — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter crew offloaded tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine and almost 4,000 pounds of marijuana Wednesday that were seized during an anti-smuggling tour off South and Central America.

The Cutter Tampa’s crew returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale ferrying 29,600 pounds of cocaine and 2,355 pounds of marijuana. The drugs, which the Coast Guard said have a value of about $226.7 million, were displayed on the Tampa’s deck during a news briefing.

“Their resounding teamwork during complex operations is astounding,” Capt. Joshua DiPietro, the Tampa’s commanding officer, said in a statement. “I commend them on their tremendous tenacity and true camaraderie as they worked through long days and nights to successfully complete difficult cases and continue the disruption of transnational criminal organizations.”

The Tampa is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter based in Portsmouth, Virginia, according to the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard crews seized the drugs in six separate interceptions of speed boats in different areas of the Eastern Pacific during the Tampa’s tour, which is part of the ongoing Operation Pacific Viper, launched in August 2025 to increase anti-smuggling patrols off Central and South America.

“The Coast Guard continues to leverage its authorities and partnerships across the Western Hemisphere to degrade Transnational Criminal Organizations’ ability to harm American communities,” Vice Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian, commander of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area, said during Wednesday’s media briefing.

“Success stories like these highlight our commitment to continuing to control, secure, and defend the nation’s maritime borders and approaches,” said Burdian, who is a graduate of Piper High School in Sunrise.