El Salvador navy seizes over 6.6 tons of cocaine in Pacific operations

On June 21, 2026, the Salvadoran government announced the seizure of approximately 6.68 tons of cocaine in two separate naval operations in the Pacific Ocean. The confiscated narcotics have an estimated street value of 167 million dollars. Six individuals, all citizens of Colombia and Ecuador, were arrested during these operations. President Nayib Bukele described the seizure as the largest blow against drug trafficking in the nation's history. With this latest operation, the total amount of cocaine seized by Salvadoran authorities since the beginning of 2026 reached 13 tons. This exceeds the previous record set in February 2026, when authorities intercepted 6.6 tons. Although El Salvador is not a major drug-producing country, it serves as a transit point for narcotics moving toward North America. President Bukele has maintained a focus on combatting organized crime since launching a government-wide campaign in the spring of 2022.