El Salvador seizes 6.6 tons of cocaine in record bust

El Salvador announced that it had seized 6.6 tons of cocaine, valued at approximately $165 million, in the Pacific Ocean. President Nayib Bukele called it the largest drug seizure in the country's history.

He said Sunday that the drugs were found aboard the multipurpose support vessel FMS Eagle, a 180-foot supply ship registered under the Tanzanian flag, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He wrote: "380 nautical miles southwest of our coast, the ship carrying 330 packages equivalent to 6.6 tons of cocaine in hidden compartments was intercepted," Bukele posted on social media platform X.

"Our National Navy has carried out the largest drug seizure in El Salvador's history," he added.

Ten suspected drug traffickers were arrested during the operation: four Colombian nationals, three Nicaraguans, two Panamanians and one Ecuadorian. The detainees are to be handed over to the authorities for processing.

"Another strong blow against drug trafficking. By the way, thanks for the new boat," Bukele wrote when reporting the seizure.

Authorities did not detail the final destination of the shipment, but El Salvador lies along Pacific maritime routes used to transport cocaine from South America to North America.

So far in 2026, prior to this operation, the country had already reported the seizure of 2,815 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than $70 million.

Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said at the time that that seizure took place off the Salvadoran coast and that the shipment's route included Nicaragua, Guatemala and the United States.

Official figures indicate that in 2025 authorities seized more than 25 tons of drugs, mostly cocaine, valued at more than $618.7 million. In 2024, seizures exceeded 17.2 tons, valued at $422.7 million.

News.Az