Big cocaine seizure on the high seas

[waltky]

USS Zephyr Seizes 35 Bales of Cocaine in Single Bust...

Patrol Ship Returns After Seizing 35 Bales of Cocaine in Single Bust
10 Nov 2017 | A Cyclone-class patrol ship will return home to Mayport Naval Station on Friday after a 76-day deployment in waters off the coast of Central America where it helped seize 726 kilograms of cocaine in a single drug bust late last month.

The USS Zephyr began the deployment Aug. 26 where it conducted counter illicit-trafficking operations in support of Operation Martillo -- which is Spanish for hammer. The Zephyr and a U.S. Coast Guard vessel identified a "go fast" boat as a possible drug smuggler Oct. 29, and then found 17 bales of cocaine after boarding the vessel, according to the Navy. The personnel located another 18 bales of cocaine in the water near the stopped boat.

Personnel assigned to the Cyclone-class patrol coastal USS Zephyr intercepted a small boat carrying 35 bales, approximately 700-1050 kg of cocaine while on a routine patrol in the Caribbean sea​

Authorities estimate the drugs are worth about $17 million to $26 million on the street, according to the Navy. Three people were detained after the seizure. The Zephyr uses a small inflatable boat to deploy Coast Guard law enforcement teams to intercept the boat, according to the Navy.

"The Zephyr crew was not deterred in the least by a record-setting 76 day patrol," said Lt. Cmdr. Grant Greenwell, commanding officer of the ship. "The team volunteered liberty time in San Juan, Puerto Rico to help offload supplies destined for Hurricane Maria victims. This crew inspires and motivates me daily. We may be one tenth the size of a destroyer and one tenth the crew, but we have ten times the heart." The deployment was the longest one for the Zephyr since it changed its home port to Mayport.

Patrol Ship Returns After Seizing 35 Bales of Cocaine in Single Bust | Military.com

 

[RodISHI]

I bet someone was really pissed about that.....

 

[waltky]

Coast Guard makes another big cocaine bust...

U.S. Coast Guard Unloads 10 Tons of Cocaine in Florida
Nov. 15, 2017 - The drugs were seized during 14 separate drug smuggling busts in international waters off the coasts of Mexico and Central America.

The U.S. Coast Guard unloaded nearly 10 tons of cocaine and 23 kilos of heroin Tuesday at Port Everglades.

The drugs were seized during 14 separate drug smuggling busts in international waters off the coasts of Mexico and Central America, authorities said. “This offload today is not just the result of one unit, but the combined efforts of multiple Coast Guard cutters, aircraft and support, as well as that of our partners and allied men and women who continue to work day and night to stop these criminal organizations from profiting off transnational crime and smuggling,” said Commander John McTamney.

Cocaine and heroin, seized during 14 separate drug smuggling busts, was offloaded at Port Everglades in Florida​

The estimated wholesale value of the dope was $300 million, Coast Guard officials said. “While this offload represents approximately 10 tons of illicit drugs that will never hit our streets, it also represents a significant depletion to the cash flow to these criminal organizations,” he said.

The interdictions, including actual boarding of smugglers’ vessels, are led and conducted by the Coast Guard.

U.S. Coast Guard Unloads 10 Tons of Cocaine in Florida

 

[waltky]

"Why Granny, what big glasses ya got there...

Self-Propelled Vessel Intercepted Smuggling 3,800 Pounds of Cocaine
13 Dec 2017 - A U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel engaged in smuggling more than 3,800 pounds of cocaine, federal officials said Sunday.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on November 13, CBP and Marine Operations (AMO) arrested the crew during operations in international waters, and all three suspects will face charges in the U.S. "The drug cartels are relentless and extremely innovative," National Air Security Operations Center -- Corpus Christi Director Allen Durham said. "Interdicting self-propelled semi-submersible vessels requires expertise and the right aircraft. Air and Marine Operations will continue to beat the cartels at their own game to protect our borders."

Coast Guard Seaman David Brink mans the binoculars as the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa prepares to anchor near the Panama Canal, Colón, Panama​

The multi-day operation from surveillance to interception, according to CBP, involved several interagency partners including the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy.

AMO operates maritime patrol aircraft from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, to conduct long-range aerial patrols and surveillance missions along the U.S. borders and in drug transit zones in Central and South America, according to CBP.

Self-Propelled Vessel Intercepted Smuggling 3,800 Pounds of Cocaine