Pam Bondi announces seizure of $510M worth of illegal drugs from vessels linked to cartels

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday announced the seizure of roughly $510 million worth of illegal narcotics on vessels headed for the United States, seeking to highlight the government’s efforts to take down sophisticated cartel drug networks.

Bondi traveled to Florida to tout the seizure of cocaine and marijuana by U.S. Coast Guard crews and put a spotlight a key Trump administration priority to go after drug traffickers helping to fuel America’s addiction crisis.

Bondi’s appearance at the south Florida port, standing in front of a Coast Guard ship and stacks of the intercepted drugs, underscores the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the Justice Department to align with the President Donald Trump's priorities to crack down on violent crime, illegal immigration and cartels.

Ships, aircraft and drones were used to intercept the traffickers off the coast of Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, according to Bondi, who said the seizures have led to sealed indictments against 11 people.

Bondi said investigators have linked two cartels - Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa - to the shipments, and described the seizures as a “major blow” to their financial operations.

“What they did saved countless American lives,” Bondi said of Coast Guard crews that intercepted the drugs. “This cocaine would have been distributed throughout our country and perhaps throughout our world.”

The Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s oldest criminal group, which traffics drugs, weapons and people, and Jalisco New Generation were among eight Latin American crime organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations” by the Trump administration in February, upping its pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them.

“This administration has labeled them foreign terrorist organizations because that’s what they are,” said FBI Director Kash Patel, who joined Bondi in Florida Wednesday.