FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — The U.S. Coast Guard brought a massive haul of drugs ashore in South Florida, offloading more than $53 million worth of cocaine Monday at Port Everglades.

Crews aboard the USCGC Escanaba unloaded approximately 7,050 pounds of cocaine following two separate interdictions—one in the Caribbean Sea and another in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

A crew member aboard USCGC Escanaba (907) carries a bale of cocaine during a drug offload of 7,050 pounds of narcotics at Port Everglades, Florida, April 27, 2026. The seized contraband was the result of one interdiction in the Caribbean Sea and one interdiction in the Eastern Pacific Ocean worth an estimated $53 million dollars. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Rodriguez)

Officials say the drugs were not seized in a single bust, but during coordinated operations targeting suspected smuggling routes across international waters.

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“The crew’s achievements on this patrol reflect the very best of our service—courage, vigilance, and an unshakeable commitment to protecting the American people,” said Nicholas Seniuk, Escanaba’s commanding officer. “Every pound of narcotics kept off our streets represents lives changed, violence prevented, and communities made safer. We couldn’t be prouder of their extraordinary work.”

The latest offload adds to what the Coast Guard describes as a record pace of counter-drug operations. In 2025 alone, crews seized more than 511,000 pounds of cocaine—more than three times the service’s annual average.

Coast Guard officials say roughly 80% of U.S.-bound drug shipments are intercepted at sea, making maritime interdiction a critical front in the fight against narcotics trafficking.