SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AFP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Saturday they seized about 500 kilograms of cocaine from a boat intercepted during a joint operation with the United States, amid a major regional US military buildup.

The seizure of the boat off the Dominican coast was carried out “in support of the United States Southern Command’s Operation Southern Spear,” the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) said in a statement.

The agency said it had worked closely with the US Drug Enforcement Administration to stop the boat.

“The acting units carried out an extensive operation by air, sea, and land to capture several individuals” who were approaching Dominican coastal waters “in a vessel carrying a significant shipment of alleged narcotics,” the DNCD said.

Two Dominican nationals were arrested and 484 packets amounting to nearly 500 kilos (1,000 pounds) of cocaine were confiscated from the 27-foot-long boat equipped with two outboard motors, the agency said.

Operation Southern Spear, announced by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday, is part of a deployment of warships and warplanes to Latin America to combat what Washington says are drug-running boats run by “narco-terrorist” cartels.

But Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro accuses US President Donald Trump of preparing to mount operations to overthrow the government in Caracas.

Since September, the US has bombed 21 suspected drug-trafficking boats in the region, resulting in at least 80 deaths. The US accuses Maduro of leading a drug cartel and is offering a $50 million reward for his capture.

On Friday, Trump said he had “sort of” decided his next steps regarding Venezuela, but declined to share further details.