Salvadoran Navy Seizes 6.6 Tonnes Of Cocaine In Largest Drug Bust In Country’s History

The Salvadoran Navy has intercepted an offshore support vessel carrying 6.6 tonnes of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, marking the largest drug seizure in the country’s history.

President Nayib Bukele announced that the drugs, valued at approximately $165 million, were discovered on board the 54-metre multipurpose support vessel FMS Eagle.

According to the president, the vessel was intercepted 380 nautical miles (703.7 kilometres) southwest of El Salvador’s coast.

The ship, described as a 1,200-dwt offshore supply vessel built in 1982, was sailing under the Tanzanian flag at the time of the operation.

Authorities reported that 330 packages of cocaine were concealed inside the vessel’s ballast tanks.

Nuestra Marina Nacional ha realizado la incautación de droga más grande en la historia de El Salvador.

A 380 millas náuticas (703.7 kilómetros) al suroeste de nuestras costas, se interceptó el Buque de Apoyo Multipropósito (supply vessel/tug) FMS EAGLE, de 180 pies de eslora (54… pic.twitter.com/1sRcsGz7dZ

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) February 16, 2026

Navy divers were deployed to inspect the hull and internal compartments, where they confirmed the presence of the hidden cargo and proceeded with its seizure.

The concealment method was described as “encaletamiento”, a technique used to hide contraband within structural spaces of a vessel.

Ten crew members were detained during the operation. Those arrested include four Colombian nationals, three Nicaraguans, two Panamanians and one Ecuadorian.

The individuals are to be handed over to the relevant authorities for further processing.

Authorities did not disclose the final destination of the shipment. However, El Salvador lies along Pacific maritime corridors commonly used to transport cocaine from South America towards North America.

Official figures show that prior to this operation in 2026, El Salvador had already seized 2,815 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than $70 million.

In 2025, authorities confiscated more than 25 tonnes of drugs, mostly cocaine, with an estimated value exceeding $618.7 million. In 2024, seizures surpassed 17.2 tonnes, valued at $422.7 million.

The government released video footage showing divers inspecting the ballast tanks and confirming the presence of the concealed cargo.

References: dailyexcelsior, UPI