FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi have confirmed the seizure of half a billion dollars worth of drugs.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Bondi confirmed that the Coast intercepted almost 45,000 pounds of cocaine and 3,800 pounds of marijuana worth over $509 million.
The seized cocaine is equivalent to 20 million lethal doses.
The shipments are believed to have come from the Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa drug cartels.
Both organizations were recently designated by President Trump as foreign terrorist organizations.
“This is a major blow to their financial operations and their efforts to distribute drugs throughout our country,” Bondi said.
”It’s an example of a prosecutor-led, intelligent, driven approach to stopping these criminal enterprises in their tracks.”
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the U.S. Coast Guard seized over $509 million in illegal drugs during 13 interdictions by cutters James and Mohawk. pic.twitter.com/boQ1GfCOon
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 9, 2025
At least eleven people have been arrested in connection with the shipment.
“This cocaine would have been distributed throughout our country and perhaps throughout our world,” she added.
“These defendants will be held accountable for bringing this poison into our country.”
”I always say, if we can save one life, one life, we have done amazing work, and today we have saved thousands and thousands of lives as a result of this incredible cooperation.”
Committed to Preserving National Security, Trump Designates Cartels as Terrorist Organizations
Meanwhile, FBI director Kash Patel said that drug cartels would “no longer going to be free to roam” across the country.
“We are going to dismantle the next-man-up theory that has been breeding in these Mexican cartels for generations,” Patel said.
“There is no lethal force on planet Earth that is responsible for an overdose death of an American citizen every seven minutes, more so than these federal terrorist organizations, foreign terrorist organizations,” he continued.
Today we’re announcing yet another major narcotics seizure, this time in Port Everglades, Florida.
48,400 pounds of illicit narcotics worth over $509 million — now OFF American streets, thanks to the leadership of @AGPamBondi and our PANEX Task Force.
This is what happens when… pic.twitter.com/EvD3I6Qme5
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 9, 2025
The Trump administration has not ruled out the possibility of using military force to take out the Mexican drug cartels.
