ISTANBUL 

US Coast Guard teams, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, seized more than 34 tons of cocaine during a major operation in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday.

The shipment of cocaine was intercepted by Coast Guard officers in the Pacific Ocean as part of an operation targeting narcotics being smuggled into the country, Homeland Security announced on the US social media platform X.

The operation, referred to by the department as the "Cartel Crackdown," was part of the ongoing Pacific Viper Operation, which targets trafficking routes across international waters.

"Operation Pacific Viper continues the Coast Guard’s efforts to protect the Homeland, counter narco-terrorism and disrupt Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Transnational Criminal Organizations and cartels seeking to produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States," a statement issued on the US Coast Guard website said.

According to US media reports, approximately 60 individuals were detained in connection with the operation.

Earlier, US officials released aerial footage showing strikes on vessels suspected of carrying drug traffickers.

The footage sparked criticism and raised concerns over possible "extrajudicial executions."

The issue of aerial gunfire on the boats was raised during a press briefing at the White House, where US President Donald Trump was questioned by reporters about the legality and implications of such actions.