Operation Eclipse disrupts Caribbean smuggling networks, seizes US$54.5 million in illicit assets
Key Points(5)
- A four-week regional maritime operation has disrupted transnational smuggling networks across the Caribbean and resulted in the seizure of an estimated US$54.5 million in illicit assets and contraband.
- The operation, dubbed Operation Eclipse , was carried out in May by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in coordination with regional and international partners.
- The operation targeted multi-jurisdictional smuggling routes and trafficking networks operating across the Caribbean and beyond.
- Authorities coordinated the operation through a central fusion cell established at the CARICOM IMPACS Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC), allowing officials to track maritime threats in real time.
- During the four-week interdiction phase, authorities generated 82 active intelligence cases, monitored 59 vessels of interest, processed 17 critical intelligence reports and carried out 24 successful seizure operations.
A four-week regional maritime operation has disrupted transnational smuggling networks across the Caribbean and resulted in the seizure of an estimated US$54.5 million in illicit assets and contraband.
The operation, dubbed Operation Eclipse, was carried out in May by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in coordination with regional and international partners.
Supported by the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the intelligence-led operation brought together forces from 14 CARICOM member states and seven associate members, along with partners from Canada, Colombia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
The operation targeted multi-jurisdictional smuggling routes and trafficking networks operating across the Caribbean and beyond.
Authorities coordinated the operation through a central fusion cell established at the CARICOM IMPACS Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC), allowing officials to track maritime threats in real time.
During the four-week interdiction phase, authorities generated 82 active intelligence cases, monitored 59 vessels of interest, processed 17 critical intelligence reports and carried out 24 successful seizure operations.
The seizures included 5,222.59 kilograms of cocaine, valued at more than US$44 million, and 1,848 kilograms of marijuana, valued at more than US$6.84 million.
The drugs were recovered from go-fast boats, yachts and inter-island cargo ships.
Authorities also confiscated more than 6,100 cases of illegal alcohol, 191 cartons of cigarettes and 22 cylinders of banned refrigerant gas, with a combined value exceeding US$1.58 million.
Enforcement teams seized two firearms and 65 rounds of ammunition, along with 13 vessels and three vehicles allegedly used by smuggling networks.
The operation also intercepted 59 irregular migrants traveling through multiple transit routes across air and sea corridors.
Contraband smuggling accounted for the largest share of active maritime cases, at 32.9%, followed by cocaine trafficking at 23.2%. Enforcement activities focused on the Eastern Caribbean, Guyanese waters and transatlantic routes.
Intelligence gathered during the operation also identified an emerging method involving clandestine aircraft dropping narcotics near borders for subsequent maritime pickup. Authorities said partner technology was used to track and disrupt the activity.
Biometric and document checks conducted on 99 people aboard intercepted vessels also pointed to an international network, with most of the individuals originating from Canada, China, Cuba and Syria.
Beyond the seizures, Operation Eclipse was used to assess and strengthen regional maritime security frameworks, including the Treaty of San José and bilateral Shiprider agreements.
CARICOM IMPACS said establishing the agency as a central regional hub for maritime domain awareness created a framework that could be adapted for future joint security operations.
The intelligence collected during the operation is now being used by participating countries to inform long-term border policies and identify persistent illicit networks operating in the region.
Lt. Col. Michael Jones, executive director of CARICOM IMPACS, said the operation demonstrated the importance of regional cooperation in confronting sophisticated criminal networks.
"Operation Eclipse proves that when our countries and partners pool their intelligence and operational capabilities, we can effectively dismantle the financial engines driving transnational crime," Jones said.
"This multimillion-dollar disruption sends a definitive message to illicit networks that the Caribbean Sea is not a safe haven for criminal enterprise. We are not just seizing contraband, we are actively securing our communities, protecting our youth and building a fortified, intelligence-led defence system across the entire region," he said.
A US State Department official said the operation demonstrated the value of information sharing and coordinated enforcement efforts between the United States and Caribbean countries.
"INL recognises that our shared security challenges mean that Caribbean security is American security," the official said. "Collaborative regional efforts like Operation Eclipse demonstrate the effectiveness of strong information sharing, which leads to coordinated interdiction and enforcement actions, and ensures that transnational criminal organisations are not able to benefit from their illicit activities."
