The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced Sunday what he called the largest cocaine seizure in the country’s history from a supply ship in the Pacific Ocean. Photo by Podrigo Sura/EPA
El Salvador said it seized 6.6 tons of cocaine, valued at some $165 million, in the Pacific Ocean in what President Nayib Bukele described as 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.
According to Bukele, the cargo was hidden inside the ship’s ballast tanks, using a concealment method known locally as “encaletamiento.” He did not disclose when the interception took place.
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,
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
“Our National Navy has carried out the largest drug seizure in El Salvador’s history,” he added.
“To locate the drugs, which were concealed in ballast tanks, divers from our National Navy were deployed. They conducted the inspection that confirmed the concealment and allowed for the seizure,” the president said.
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.
