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Colombian Navy Seizes About 7.1 Tonnes of Cocaine in Caribbean; 11 Detained Unharmed Amid U.S. Strike Controversy

12:15 AM, 12/06/2025
Colombian Navy Seizes About 7.1 Tonnes of Cocaine in Caribbean; 11 Detained Unharmed Amid U.S. Strike Controversy

Colombian authorities seized about 7.1 tonnes of cocaine in two Caribbean operations, arresting 11 people unharmed and valuing the haul at more than $340 million. The interdictions occurred roughly 90 nautical miles off Barranquilla and about 70 miles south in the Gulf of Morrosquillo. The seizures come as U.S. strikes on suspected drug vessels — at least 22 since September, reportedly killing around 87 people — have provoked international criticism and legal questions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro and human-rights advocates have condemned the strikes; the White House and President Trump defend them.

Colombian Navy Confiscates 7.1 Tonnes of Cocaine in Two Caribbean Interdictions

Colombia's navy said it seized roughly 7.1 tonnes of cocaine during two separate interdictions in the Caribbean this week. One operation took place about 90 nautical miles off Barranquilla on the country's northern coast, and the other occurred roughly 70 miles to the south in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, authorities said in a social-media post and a subsequent statement.

The navy valued the confiscated drugs at more than $340 million. Eleven people — eight Colombians, two Venezuelans and one Jamaican — were arrested and, according to the navy, detained "without affecting their integrity or their lives." Authorities published images from the operations showing the vessels involved and bundles of suspected narcotics laid out beside officers and detainees.

Context: U.S. Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels

The seizures come amid mounting tension over U.S. military strikes on vessels in the region. The U.S. announced another strike in the Pacific Ocean that the Pentagon said killed four people. Since September, U.S. forces have carried out at least 22 strikes on boats in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean that U.S. officials have described as drug-trafficking vessels; U.S. authorities say roughly 87 people have been killed in those operations.

Controversy intensified after a Washington Post investigation examined a Sept. 2 strike in the Caribbean that killed 11 people and reported the boat was hit by two missiles — an assessment the White House later confirmed. CBS News reported that a second strike may have followed when survivors from the first attack attempted to reboard the vessel to salvage suspected drugs; some lawmakers and human-rights advocates have questioned whether such follow-up strikes could amount to violations of international law or even war crimes.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly urged the U.S. to halt these strikes, saying some of those killed may have been innocent civilians and arguing the attacks could violate international law. The White House rejects those accusations, and President Trump has defended the operations as a legitimate component of efforts to disrupt transnational drug-trafficking networks. In a related development, the family of a Colombian man killed in a U.S. strike has filed a complaint with a human-rights watchdog alleging his death was an extrajudicial killing.

What authorities say: The navy emphasized that the detainees were held unharmed and that the operations were intended to interdict illegal drug shipments in Colombian waters.

Photos Published: Authorities released images showing the intercepted vessels and bundles of suspected narcotics laid out alongside officers and the detainees.

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