War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board.

The war on drugs, sometimes referred to in the 21st century as the war on cartels in contexts of military intervention and counterterrorism, is a global anti-narcotics campaign led by the United States federal government, including drug prohibition and foreign assistance, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the US. The initiative's efforts includes policies intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the participating governments, through United Nations treaties, have made illegal.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies.

Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant and tropane alkaloid derived primarily from the leaves of two coca species native to South America: Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. Coca leaves are processed into cocaine paste, a crude mix of coca alkaloids which cocaine base is isolated and converted to cocaine hydrochloride, commonly known as "cocaine". Cocaine was once a standard topical medication as a local anesthetic with intrinsic vasoconstrictor activity, but its high abuse potential, adverse effects, and cost have limited its use and led to its replacement by other medicines. "Cocaine and its combinations" are formally excluded from the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.