SANTO DOMINGO, Oct 31, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Dominican Republic said Thursday it had detained a boat packed with suspected cocaine in an operation coinciding with a US anti-drug military deployment in the Caribbean.

The boat allegedly arrived in Bani in the country's south "from South America," a government statement said.

Two Dominicans were arrested in what the national drug control agency called "a blow to criminal structures." The operation recovered 650 packets of alleged narcotics.

The United States has deployed warships in the Caribbean in what it says is an operation to stymie drug exports from Colombia and Venezuela. Caracas fears it is a regime-change ploy.

Countries in the region have been keen to show off anti-narcotics efforts as US strikes on alleged drug-ferrying boats have claimed at least 62 lives to date in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Rights experts say the attacks are illegal even if the targets really are drug traffickers.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump hailed the success of the operation in an address to navy sailors.

"We're so good at it that there are no boats. In fact, even fishing boats -- nobody wants to go into the water anymore," he said.