In a rare joint operation, the United States and the Dominican Republic conducted their first-ever coordinated counter-narcoterrorism mission, culminating in the destruction of a speedboat and the seizure of more than a ton of suspected cocaine off the coast of Pedernales province. The operation was carried out now that the Trump administration has underway a controversial anti-narcotics mission in the southern Caribbean.
The speedboat was on its way to dock in the Dominican Republic and use the nation as a bridge to transport cocaine to the United States.
The mission, which took place near Beata Island, began with an aerial military surveillance sweep by US forces. This intelligence allowed Dominican authorities to pinpoint the high-speed vessel, a “Go Fast” boat, carrying an estimated 1,000 kilograms of narcotics, according to Carlos Devers, spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s National Drug Control Agency (DNCD).
As reported, the Dominican drug agency and Dominican Navy acted on the alert, and in close coordination with the United States Southern Command (Southcom) after activating its maritime and air surveillance protocols.
During the high-seas interdiction, US agents intercepted and destroyed the vessel. Dominican crews then began the process of recovering the cargo from the wreckage. Officials located 13 bundles containing a total of 377 packages of what is believed to be cocaine. The packages were wrapped in various colors of tape and marked with different logos. The boat was allegedly carrying 1,000 kilograms (more than 2,200 pounds) of cocaine.
According to Devers, roughly 60 of the packages were incinerated in the explosion. The seized narcotics have been sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) for official analysis and to determine their exact weight.
The DNCD and the Public Ministry continue to investigate the source of the shipment and identify those responsible for the international drug trafficking operation.
After the destruction of the speedboat, the Dominican authorities held a press conference to highlight the operation’s success, emphasizing the growing cooperation between the two nations in the fight against transnational criminal networks.
“The DNCD, along with the Armed Forces, the Public Ministry, state intelligence agencies, and allied agencies, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to continue confronting drug trafficking with firmness, defending sovereignty, and consolidating the bonds of international cooperation,” the DNCD said in a statement.
Michelle Angulo, Communications Director for the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic, and Lieutenant Colonel Lowell Krusinger, the U.S. Defense Attaché, were present at the press conference, alongside DNCD President Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa and DEA Attaché Kaleb Sanderson.
The press release explains that the joint operation is a tangible example of the US strategy to increase its presence in the Caribbean to combat drug trafficking. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has deployed ships and military personnel off the coast of Venezuela to intercept shipments linked to transnational criminal organizations. These actions, which include attacks on vessels suspected of drug trafficking, have heightened tensions with the government of Nicolás Maduro. The US government has accused Maduro of being tied to criminal networks and the “Cartel of the Suns.”
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CBS News
LA Times
Diario Libre
22 September 2025