Coast Guard, partners seize vessel off Cape Florida loaded with 6.7M worth of cocaine

A U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach law enforcement boat crew along with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and CBP Office of Field Operations officers seize approximately 900 pounds of cocaine from a suspected drug smuggling vessel at Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, May 29, 2026. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach’s crew interdicted the suspected drug smuggling vessel one mile east of Cape Florida, with approximately $6.7 million worth of cocaine. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Rodriguez)

From U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, May 29, 2026

MIAMI – A U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach law enforcement boat crew along with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and CBP Office of Field Operations officers seized approximately 900 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $6.7 million, from a suspected drug smuggling vessel one mile east of Cape Florida, Sunday. 

Federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency Miami Division took custody of three suspected smugglers and narcotics for further investigation.   

“The Coast Guard and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners remain vigilant in our shared efforts to keep our maritime borders safe by preventing illicit narcotics from reaching our communities,” said Lt. Matthew Ross, Coast Guard Station Miami Beach commanding officer. “I couldn’t be more proud of the professionalism of our law enforcement crews and our continued collaboration with our partners to safeguard American lives.”   

We are part of a whole-of-government approach to secure our borders by dismantling Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Transnational Criminal Organizations, including narco-trafficking and human smuggling operations. 

The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction. We are part of the Department of Homeland Security team protecting our nation and are at all times a military service and part of the joint force defending it.  As a member of the joint force, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory agency and a member of the U.S. intelligence community, the Coast Guard employs a unique mix of authorities to ensure the safety and integrity of the maritime domain to protect the economic and national security of the nation. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is America’s frontline: the nation’s largest law enforcement organization and the world’s first unified border management agency. The 67,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country’s economic prosperity. We enhance the nation’s security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust. 