The U.S. Coast Guard seized over $6 million worth of cocaine off a crude oil tanker in Los Angeles.
Federal officers and Guardsmen examined the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia in the L.A. port on May 21, according to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security. A Coast Guard canine trained to detect narcotics found the contraband, which the boarding team subsequently identified as 500 pounds of cocaine. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Coast Guard conducted the seizure operation together.
Based on an overdose estimate from Asana Recovery, 500 pounds of cocaine would be potentially sufficient to trigger overdose symptoms in over 150,000 people. And if the cocaine were mixed with fentanyl, which it too often is now by bad actors, it could be even more deadly.
Eddy Wang, HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge, boasted, “This operation highlights Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and safeguarding the United States from illicit narcotics.” He added, “HSI’s swift response and investigative expertise were instrumental in identifying and seizing over 226 kilograms of cocaine destined for our communities. We remain dedicated to pursuing those who attempt to exploit our ports and transportation systems, and to working with our partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten public safety.
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The cocaine that was on the Aquatravesia was worth about $6.4 million, according to the DHS press release.
Captain Stacey Crecy, sector commander at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, commented on the seizure of the 500 pounds of cocaine as well. “The success of this narcotics seizure is a testament to the coordinated efforts of the DHS enterprise to dismantle the efforts of drug smugglers under our respective authorities and responsibilities,” said Crecy. “Through stellar coordination, we effectively detained the suspect and removed the contraband from the vessel to protect the maritime transportation system and facilitate commerce as quickly as possible.”
The Trump administration continues to make its crackdown on the lucrative but deadly illegal drug trade a priority after the Biden administration’s four years of opening our borders wide and overlooking the implications that had for drug trafficking.
As of May 15, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it had seized enough fentanyl so far in Fiscal Year 2026 to kill potentially 100 million people. And that staggering number was just from seizures at the southern U.S. border.
.@CBP is keeping Americans SAFE.
In fiscal year 2026, agents seized enough lethal doses of fentanyl at our southern border to kill more than 100 MILLION Americans.
Thank you to these heroes for keeping these deadly drugs off our streets. pic.twitter.com/1F2PSRwy6F
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 18, 2026
Our brave federal officers are saving lives every day. It is disturbing that Democrats are so determined to deny them paychecks, and that too many Republicans in the Senate don’t have the guts to give them the resources they deserve either.
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