Caribbean Applauds U.S. Drug Crackdown as Coast Guard Makes Record Seizure

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

USA, August 29, 2025 – The Trump administration’s latest offensive against transnational narcotics networks is earning praise from Caribbean partners, even as the U.S. Coast Guard reports its largest-ever drug seizure in the region. The twin developments highlight the scope of America’s crackdown on Venezuelan-linked trafficking routes and the shared struggle Caribbean nations face as drug smuggling corrodes their societies.

At a White House cabinet meeting press debriefing this week, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that Washington’s strategy is not only an American effort but a regional one.

“Many Caribbean nations … have applauded the administration’s counter-drug operations and efforts,” Leavitt said, framing the fight against narcotics as a collaborative battle that strengthens security across the hemisphere.

Her comments come against the backdrop of a record-setting U.S. Coast Guard haul: more than 76,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana valued at $473 million, intercepted in multiple operations across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea. The seizures included major interdictions 35 miles southwest of Haiti and 130 miles south of Jamaica, underscoring how vulnerable Caribbean waters remain to traffickers moving product north.

Regional Costs of the Trade

While the United States is the largest consumer market for narcotics, the Caribbean often pays the price as a transit zone. Small islands are

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloads more than 76,140 lbs of illicit narcotics at Port Everglades, Florida, on August 25, 2025. This is the largest cocaine offload to date in Coast Guard history, with the assistance of partner agencies, during counterdrug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)

used as refueling points, stash hubs, and smuggling corridors, leaving local law enforcement outgunned and communities scarred by addiction and violence. Police in several territories warn that narcotics are no longer just passing through; they are spilling into neighborhoods and schools, feeding turf wars and addiction.                                                                                                                                                                   “Narcotics is killing us too,” a senior Caribbean officer told regional media this week, stressing that U.S. interdiction efforts relieve pressure on island societies grappling with rising crime tied to the trade.                                                                                                                                                                                  Numbers Tell the Story                                                                                                                                               The Coast Guard said the seizures resulted from 19 interdictions coordinated with the U.S. Department of Defense and allied navies, detaining 34 suspected smugglers. In July alone, interdictions in the Caribbean Sea netted an additional 5,500 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, valued at over $20 million.

Florida Senator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the campaign as a turning point:

“For the first time in modern history, we are truly on the offensive against organized cartels that are pumping poison—deadly poison—into our cities.”

Shared Struggle

For Caribbean governments, the message resonates. Regional leaders have quietly acknowledged that Washington’s heightened presence on the high seas relieves overstretched island police and coast guard units. Every ton intercepted before reaching shore is a victory not just for U.S. cities but for fragile Caribbean communities on the front line of smuggling routes.

With seizures mounting and more patrols expected, the offensive against drug cartels appears to be gathering momentum. And if Caribbean applause is any measure, Washington’s push is being felt—and welcomed—far beyond its borders.