Over $500 Million in Illicit Drugs Unloaded as Coast Guard Cutter Returns to Florida

After seizing illicit drugs valued at half a billion dollars on the high seas, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James returned to shore with thousands of pounds of seized contraband.

The crew offloaded nearly 45,000 pounds of cocaine, and over 3,800 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades in South Florida. Combined, the drugs are worth about $510 million. 

“I could not be prouder of the James crew and the teams who embarked with us to stand the watch over the holidays to keep our border secure and keep Americans safe,” said Captain Thomas Rodzewicz, commanding officer of James. 

11 Interdictions

James conducted the missions in January, and thanks to close coordination with federal partners, was able to intercept 11 vessels trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific, off the coast of Ecuador. 

34 suspected drug traffickers were also arrested, some of whom are linked to drug cartels like Sinaloa and Clan del Golfo. 

“This is a key example of the Department of Justice working with our law enforcement partners to fight crime and keep drugs from flowing into America,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to the incredible work of the Coast Guard and FBI, these drugs will help lock up criminals instead of ruining lives.”

Also playing a key role was the Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West, which is responsible for detecting and monitoring the aerial and maritime movement of illegal drugs.

USCGC James is a 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter, with a home port of Charleston, South Carolina. 

GAO Report on Military Drug Seizures

Meanwhile, a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report studied drug seizure policies put in place by the Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau to see if they hampered military members from supporting law enforcement in the seizure of illegal drugs. 

The report found that as of February 2025, DOD and the Guard Bureau are aligning their policies with federal law. It also found that changes put in under the Biden Administration, such as instituting rules that National Guard analysts cannot handle evidence, did not hamper military members from assisting law enforcement.