Coast Guard Cutter Resolute is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg. Florida, under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.Photo: Courtesy: USCG
MIAMI – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute offloaded approximately a ton of cocaine worth nearly $20 million Thursday at Base Miami Beach.
The USCG seized the illicit drugs during three interdictions in the Caribbean Sea with the help of the crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and USS Billings.
“The success of these interdictions reflects the strength of our partnerships and the persistence of our crews,” said Cmdr. Ian Starr, Resolute’s commanding officer. “By stopping these shipments at sea, we are preventing dangerous drugs from reaching our communities and disrupting transnational criminal organizations.”
In addition to the contraband, the crew transferred six suspected drug smugglers to federal authorities.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than a half million pounds of cocaine in 2025 – that's three times the service’s annual average.
"The Coast Guard’s persistent operations and rapid response have denied criminal organizations billions in illicit revenue and prevented the flow of dangerous drugs like fentanyl into American communities." according to a USCG statement.