Coast Guard seizes about 7,250 pounds of cocaine worth $54.5 million near Puerto Rico

The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a suspected smuggling boat nearly 50 miles off Puerto Rico and seized more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine, the agency confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Cutter Richard Dixon made the stop on Saturday, Aug. 22, with help from Customs and Border Protection air and marine units. Investigators estimated the haul at about 7,250 pounds, valued near $54.5 million. Five people aboard were detained. The investigation remains active, and charges had not been announced when the story published.

Lieutenant Commander Michael D. Torgesen said coordination between the cutter and CBP air assets put the crew in position to stop a major shipment. He said the crew struck a direct blow against transnational smuggling and helped protect maritime borders in the Caribbean. Southeast District Commander Admiral Adam Chamie said the case shows what ready crews and interagency partnerships can do in the maritime domain.

The Coast Guard destroyed the boat because it posed a hazard to navigation. Leaving a disabled smuggling craft adrift can endanger other vessels, so destruction after offloading is a common practice when a hull cannot be safely towed.

The announcement came in the same week the service marked another Caribbean milestone: more than 75,000 pounds of illicit narcotics valued at about $473 million were offloaded Monday in Port Everglades, Florida. That cumulative offload underscores how busy the corridor has been for interdiction crews this season.

Caribbean transit routes remain a main corridor for cocaine headed toward the United States. Interdictions at sea aim to cut loads before they reach Puerto Rico, Florida and inland distribution networks. Federal prosecutors typically follow with charging decisions once evidence from the boarding is processed.