El Salvador seizes record 6.68 tons of cocaine

El Salvador’s authorities announced a historic drug bust, seizing 6.68 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $167 million in two coordinated naval operations in the Pacific Ocean. President Nayib Bukele shared the news on X, calling it the “biggest blow” to drug trafficking in the country’s history.

Six men identified as cargo‑carriers, citizens of Colombia and Ecuador, were arrested during the operations. The haul raises the total quantity seized by Salvadoran forces since 2023 to roughly 13 tons. Although El Salvador does not produce cocaine, its geographic position makes it a key transit route to North America. Bukele, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has emphasized the “war on organized crime” as a top government priority since spring 2022.