President Nayib Bukele said on June 19, 2026 that authorities seized over 6 tonnes of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean a day earlier in a record operation valued at $167 million. Six people were arrested after the navy intercepted two vessels, each carrying three crew members and a similar quantity of the drug, Bukele added.
Bukele detailed that the Salvadoran Navy carried out the interception of two low-profile vessels on June 18 near Bocana El Cordoncillo in the Estero de Jaltepeque area. The president’s figures show the total haul reached 6.68 tonnes, surpassing a prior single-operation record of 6.606 tonnes from February 13, 2026. According to Bukele, El Salvador has now accumulated 13.286 tonnes of cocaine seized in 2026 with a cumulative value of more than $332 million.
Bukele wrote on X, “We continue to take the war against drug trafficking to places where it previously operated with total impunity.” The statement from the president described the action as part of sustained operations against maritime drug routes. Bukele’s announcement specified that the cocaine’s estimated street value from the latest seizure alone stood at $167 million.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has stated that cocaine is typically transported from Colombia to Mexico or Central America by sea and then onwards by land to the United States and Canada. UNODC assessments have highlighted the region’s position as a primary transit zone for South American cocaine. Data from the UNODC World Drug Report 2025 indicates that global cocaine seizures achieved a record high in 2023, 68 percent higher than in 2019.
Navy operations in the Pacific formed the basis of the June 18 interdiction, according to the president’s update. The Salvadoran leader reported no further specifics on the vessels’ intended destination in the initial release. Bukele’s administration has issued regular statements on such seizures throughout the year.
Similar maritime actions have added to the country’s 2026 totals, Bukele noted in his post. The latest record builds on prior navy efforts in the same waters. The president provided the updated yearly seizure statistics alongside news of the Pacific operation.
