The United States Coast Guard announced it has seized over 14,153 pounds of cocaine, totaling a value of more than $186 million. Coast Guard authorities say the narcotics were intercepted in nine separate cases over the last several days in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Twelve suspected drug smugglers were arrested in the seizures and face prosecution.

“The contraband offloaded today represents the professional expertise and dedication of U.S. defense and law enforcement agencies working together to combat the flow of illicit drugs through the Caribbean Region into the United States,” said Coast Guard Lieutenant Peter Hutchison.

“This teamwork is imperative to the identification, interception, and seizure of vessels engaged in illicit trafficking and a testament to the hard work of these crews,” Hutchison added.

Deadly drug overdoses in the United States continue to rise as drug smugglers at the U.S.-Southern border with Mexico continue to pour in illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids.

The Foreign Desk writes the crisis at the southern border often monopolizes media attention, but there is more that should not be overlooked. Kyle Shideler, Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy told the Foreign Desk that while the insecurity of America’s Southern border often receives a large share of media attention, this recent Coast Guard announcement is a “reminder that U.S. maritime borders are also under constant threat.”

“Ultimately, all U.S. states are now ‘border states;’ and must act accordingly,” Shideler said. “Maritime smuggling remains one of the most important avenues for cocaine producers in South America to get their product to the United States, either, directly or after transferring to overland routes in Mexico.”