DOJ and Coast Guard seize more than $500M in cartel drugs


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  • Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel say the Coast Guard recently seized more than $500 million in drugs during an 11-day operation. They interdicted 45,000 pounds of raw, uncut cocaine and 3,000 pounds of marijuana.
  • Bondi says the drugs are “heavily tied” to the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.
  • Since February, the Coast Guard has seized more than 59 tons of narcotics bound for the U.S. and other places.

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The Department of Justice and the U.S. Coast Guard stopped more than half a billion dollars worth of drugs from coming into the country, according to officials.

What do we know?

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel joined Coast Guard members at Port Everglades in Florida on Wednesday, April 9, to announce the seizure of almost 45,000 pounds of cocaine and 3,800 pounds of marijuana.

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The drugs were worth a combined $500 million.

It means 154 lives saved directly from cocaine-related overdose deaths in this country.

Vice Adm. Nathan Moore

“What does the number besides the dollar sign mean?” said Coast Guard Vice Adm. Nathan Moore during Wednesday’s press conference. “It means 154 lives saved directly from cocaine-related overdose deaths in this country. It means that there’s almost 11,000 less new cocaine users that are gonna get access to the drugs. It means that we’ve saved at least $16.5 million on costs related to inmate care and health care for people afflicted with these drugs.”

What groups were involved with the drugs?

Bondi said the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) are “heavily tied” to the drugs, which the Coast Guard interdicted during an 11-day-long operation. Both cartels have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

Bondi said 11 people were arrested during this recent operation and are now facing prosecution.

Part of a bigger problem

Vice Adm. Moore said just since February, the Coast Guard has seized more than 59 metric tons of narcotics.

Shea Taylor (Producer) and Michael Edwards (Video Editor) contributed to this report.
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Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left framed the $509 million drug seizure by emphasizing its connection to drug policy reform and the criminal justice system, indirectly criticizing current immigration policies while highlighting the social costs of drug trafficking.
  • Not enough unique coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right emphasized law enforcement successes, border security, and the direct link between the seized drugs and cartels, using terms like "poison" and "major blow" to underscore the severity of the threat and the operation's impact.

Media landscape

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51 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a seizure of approximately $510 million worth of illegal narcotics headed for the United States.
  • The Coast Guard intercepted cocaine and marijuana using ships, aircraft, and drones off the coasts of Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
  • Investigators have tied the intercepted shipments to the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels, resulting in sealed indictments against 11 individuals.
  • FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that the Trump administration has labeled these cartels as foreign terrorist organizations due to their criminal activities.

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Key points from the Right

  • The Department of Justice and Coast Guard seized over $509 million in illegal drugs, including almost 45,000 pounds of cocaine and 3,800 pounds of marijuana, during an 11-day operation.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the drug shipments are heavily tied to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and the Sinaloa Cartel, both designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
  • FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the operation's impact, saying it dismantles the cartels' operations and saves lives, asserting, "They are no longer going to be free to roam."

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