Coast Guard Seizes $2.4 Million in Marijuana From Suspicious Vessel

The U.S. Coast Guard hauled in over a ton of suspected marijuana valued at more than $2.4 million after crews stopped a suspicious go-fast vessel during a patrol, military officials stated. Crews from Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) recovered 47 bales weighing exactly 2,082 pounds along the path the boat had taken before stopping. Four people were detained in connection with this operation.

The seizure occurred during a routine patrol when the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba spotted "a suspicious go-fast vessel." They launched a boat crew to investigate immediately. The vessel stopped without further incident, JIATF-S confirmed. During follow-up work, officials found what they called a "bale field" along the ship's previous track and pulled up the suspected marijuana.

"This mission required vigilance, professionalism, and seamless coordination from detection and pursuit to evidence recovery and search-and-rescue support," JIATF-S said. The group did not specify the exact location of the incident but thanked the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Haiti for their "timely support, search assistance, and coordination throughout the operation."

This bust happens right in the middle of the Trump administration's ongoing campaign to target narcotics trafficking networks across the Western Hemisphere. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) praised the effort, calling it another demonstration of America's resolve to stop dangerous drugs from entering the homeland. This week, SOUTHCOM announced two separate operations where U.S. forces intercepted and sank vessels in the Eastern Pacific linked to Los Choneros, a violent narco-terrorist organization they identified.

The military has also been running a months-long campaign ordered by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks. This includes dozens of strikes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean targeting boats connected to what officials call "narco-terrorists." The latest seizure comes right after another major Coast Guard drug bust off Puerto Rico last month. Crews intercepted a suspected smuggling boat nearly 50 miles from that U.S. territory and found more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $54.5 million. Five people aboard that vessel were detained and taken into custody during that investigation. Fox News Digital's Kelsie Cairns contributed to this report.