Newly released Department of Homeland Security footage shows a Coast Guard MH-65E Dolphin helicopter closing in on a cartel fast boat in the Eastern Pacific carrying an estimated 20,000 pounds of cocaine. The vessel, traveling south of Mexico, was tracked and targeted as part of Operation Pacific Viper, an ongoing mission to disrupt transnational drug trafficking in the region.

A sniper aboard the MH-65E used a Barrett M82 .50-caliber rifle to disable the boat’s engines, allowing a boarding team from the Cutter Munro to safely seize the vessel and its massive cocaine haul. Officials noted that the operation neutralized the threat without endangering the crew aboard the go-fast boat, showcasing the precision and effectiveness of modern Coast Guard tactics.

The seized cocaine, valued in the millions, equates to approximately 7.5 million lethal doses, marking the largest such interdiction by a national security cutter in over 18 years. Operation Pacific Viper highlights the Coast Guard’s ability to protect communities while intercepting dangerous narcotics before they reach U.S. shores.

This historic seizure adds to a record-setting year for drug interdictions, emphasizing the strategic coordination between cutters, helicopters, and boarding teams. DHS officials called the operation a critical example of how advanced technology, training, and inter-agency cooperation can disrupt criminal networks and prevent massive public health threats from entering American communities.