USCG Tampa offloads $12.3 million in seized drugs after Caribbean bust

The U.S. Coast Guard ended Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale with a dramatic reminder of its mission at sea—offloading more than 3,700 pounds of seized cocaine and marijuana worth an estimated $12.3 million.

The haul came from two separate interdictions in the Caribbean Sea during joint operations between the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, including the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul and an embarked Navy helicopter unit. The effort reflects an aggressive push to curb drug trafficking through coordinated action across military and law enforcement branches.

How the Coast Guard and Navy carried out the bust

The backstory:

The seizures were led by crews from the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul during its maiden deployment, working in conjunction with Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 406 and Navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50.

"This is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew," said Cmdr. Steven Fresse, commanding officer of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul. "To make an immediate impact so early on in deployment shows how ready we are to act."

Watchstanders from the Seventh Coast Guard District coordinated the law enforcement phase of the interdictions, which originated with detection and monitoring by the Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West.

What happens after drugs are seized at sea?

Timeline:

The process of interdicting illegal drugs in international waters requires layers of coordination.

• Detection typically begins with surveillance and intelligence operations, including aerial and maritime monitoring.
• Once a vessel suspected of trafficking is identified, the mission transitions into a law enforcement phase—led by the Coast Guard.
• After interception, seized contraband is documented, secured, and transported for offload.

Wednesday’s offload occurred at Port Everglades aboard the USCGC Tampa, a 270-foot cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia.

What they're saying:

Cmdr. Walter Krolman, commanding officer of the Tampa, emphasized the importance of combined efforts across U.S. sea services:

"Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale was a great opportunity for our Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps crews to showcase our sea services to communities here in South Florida," he said. "Today’s offload demonstrates the value of our collaborative joint force operations far out to sea in protecting and defending Americans here at home from threats abroad."

The interdiction effort represents a growing trend of Navy-Coast Guard integration in counternarcotics missions, particularly in the Caribbean where trafficking routes remain active and dangerous.