Coast Guard's Big Drug Bust in the Pacific

The Coast Guard has been busy in the Pacific Ocean. They have stopped a lot of boats carrying cocaine. Since August, they have seized over 150, 000 pounds of cocaine. This is part of a big operation called Pacific Viper. One of the biggest busts happened earlier this month. A boat loaded with drugs was stopped. The Coast Guard used a helicopter to fire at the boat. They then took over 20, 000 pounds of cocaine from it. This was the biggest seizure since 2007. The Coast Guard shared a video of the incident. It shows the helicopter firing at the boat. It also shows other drug busts. In one clip, people are being arrested. The video has a song playing in the background. The Coast Guard has been using more ships and planes for this operation. Most drug seizures happen at sea. Another ship, the James, seized over 19, 800 pounds of cocaine. Another ship offloaded almost 49, 000 pounds of drugs worth $362 million. The drugs seized so far are worth over $1. 1 billion. The operation starts with a task force in Florida. They track drug boats. Once a boat is spotted, the Coast Guard takes over. They stop the boat, arrest the crew, and seize the drugs. A government official said this operation is important. It stops drugs from reaching America. This helps save lives and makes the country safer.