Coast Guard stops boats holding 3 tons of cocaine, opens fire on one
The crew of the Tahoma, a 270-foot Coast Guard cutter, made the interdictions about 90 miles off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia.
Updated on: May 15, 2026 / 10:02 AM EDT / CBS News
The crew of a U.S. Coast Guard ship simultaneously intercepted three boats carrying illicit drugs in the Caribbean Sea, seizing over three tons of cocaine and stopping what the agency called a "triple threat," officials said Thursday.
The alleged smugglers aboard the boat pursued by the helicopter were "non-compliant," the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard aircrew used "aerial use of force tactics, including precision sniper fire directed at the engines" to stop the boat. The alleged smugglers jumped overboard and were rescued by the Coast Guard with no reported injuries.
Video shared by the Coast Guard showed a member of the aircrew strafing the area in front of the vessel with gunfire, then throwing rescue floats to the alleged smugglers after they jumped overboard.
Relentless operations to stop narco-terrorism. @USCGSoutheast crews aboard CGC Tahoma and an embarked helicopter seized approximately 6,085 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $45.8 million Saturday after stopping three vessels off the coast of Colombia. The interdiction required… pic.twitter.com/5unto8ycBr