A Coast Guard cutter arrived in San Diego on Thursday with more than 14 tons of cocaine , part of what authorities has described as a surge of seizures near Central and South America . The cocaine , valued by the Coast Guard at $ 424 million , was seized by U.S. and Canadian forces in 19 separate incidents in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America . It included a 10½-ton bust from a coastal freighter , the largest maritime drug interdiction in that area since 2009 . A crewman from the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell guards some of more than 28,000 pounds of cocaine , seized at sea and offloaded at Naval Base San Diego on Thursday . The cocaine was seized by U.S. and Canadian forces in 19 separate incidents in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America . The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships have seized more than 28 tons of cocaine valued at $ 848 million in the eastern Pacific region near Central and South America in the last six months , resulting in 101 arrests . That 's more than the 12-month period that ended in September , and U.S. authorities have called it the most successful run for drug seizures in the area since 2009 . Suspicious vessels in international waters were tracked by military or law enforcement aircraft or vessels . Coast Guard personnel operating from Coast Guard cutters and Royal Canadian Navy vessels boarded the ships to seize the drugs . Thursday 's arrival marked the second time that the Cutter Boutwell has returned home with a huge load of drugs . In October , its crew turned over more than 14 tons of cocaine to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration . Suspicious vessels in international waters were tracked by military or law enforcement aircraft or vessels . Coast Guard personnel operating from Coast Guard cutters and Royal Canadian Navy vessels boarded the ships to seize the drugs . Thursday 's arrival marked the second time that the Cutter Boutwell returned home with a huge load of drugs . In October , its crew turned over more than 14 tons of cocaine to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration . U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships have seized more than 28 tons of cocaine valued at $ 848 million in the last six months .
The cocaine was seized by U.S. and Canadian authorities in two separate incidents in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America . It included a 10½-ton shipment from a coastal freighter , the largest maritime drug interdiction in that area since 2009 . U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships have seized more than 28 tons of cocaine valued at $ 848 million in the last 12 months . Authorities have made it the most successful run for drug trafficking in the world since 2009 .