Coast Guard
USCG Cutter Tampa offloads drugs worth $28.7 million
Stars and Stripes
April 17, 2026
Two members of the USCG Cutter Tampa crew pass a package of cocaine during an offloading of interdicted drugs at Base Miami Beach, Fla., on Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Reese Hindmarsh/U.S. Coast Guard)
U.S. Coast Guard personnel on the Cutter Tampa offloaded more than 3,800 pounds of cocaine at Base Miami Beach, Fla., on Thursday.
The narcotics are estimated to be worth more than $28.7 million, the service said in a news release, and were seized from two interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
“This crew’s performance over the last 74 days has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Tampa’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Joshua DiPietro, according to the release.
In addition to Tampa’s crew, the interdictions involved personnel with Joint Interagency Task Force South, the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, and watchstanders with the service’s Southeast District and Southwest District.
The seizures happened under Operation Pacific Viper, which accelerated counterdrug operations in the Eastern Pacific, a common corridor for drugs being trafficked from Central and South America.
More than 215,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized by the Coast Guard since the operation started in August, the release said.