Biggest Drug Bust in U.S. Coast Guard History Coming to Port Everglades

U.S. Coast Guard On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard offloaded 4,800 pounds of cocaine at Port Everglades in Florida after the drugs were recovered in a pair of operations in the Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Coast Guard)

By Jade Alexander and Ben Harris

The U.S. Coast Guard is about to make history in South Florida.

Officials announced they will offload more than 76,000 pounds of cocaine at Port Everglades on Monday morning — the largest drug seizure in the agency’s history.

The staggering haul dwarfs a recent bust just weeks ago. On July 29, Coast Guard crews offloaded nearly 10,000 pounds of cocaine at the same port, a shipment valued at nearly $75 million.

Details about the estimated street value of the record seizure are expected to be released during Monday’s offload, which will also highlight the Coast Guard’s continued role in disrupting transnational drug trafficking.

This latest bust underscores the agency’s growing impact in keeping narcotics off U.S. shores — and sets a new bar for what counts as a “major” seizure.