Category Archives: Drug Interdiction

“Coast Guard offloads over $517.5 million in illicit drugs interdicted in Eastern Pacific Ocean” –D7

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An engine cowling rests against an MH-65 dolphin helicopter at Port Everglades, on March 20, 2025. After attempts to stop a non-complaint vessel failed, the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron was authorized to use force, including disabling fire. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg)

Below is a news release from District Seven. I don’t pass along every ship’s off load of  drugs because they have gotten to be routine, but this patrol was anything but routine.

  • For one ship to interdict 12 drug smugglers in a single patrol is unusual.
  • This interdiction of four go-fast vessels operating in company moving almost as if in formation was unusual.

“On Feb. 19, Stone’s embarked UAS crew detected multiple suspicious vessels approximately 110 miles south of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessels to stop, and their boarding teams interdicted four go-fast vessels, apprehending eight suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 10,885 pounds of cocaine.”

  • Success of the UAS was notable.
  • The location of that interdiction is unusual in that it is probably at least 500 nautical miles west of Ecuador and well South of Colombia, the country we normally think of as the source for cocaine.

(Could the four vessels intercepted Feb. 19 have been on the way to meet a larger vessel offshore? –either to transfer the load or to refuel?)

The photo above, at the head of this post, was the first thing that really got my attention, but apparently, that cowling was not unique.

USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) delivers $517.5 million in illicit drugs interdicted in Eastern Pacific Ocean. Along side are displayed cowlings of outboard motor disabled by the Airborne Use of Force crew from the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) based in Jacksonville, FL.

March 20, 2025

Coast Guard offloads over $517.5 million in illicit drugs interdicted in Eastern Pacific Ocean

MIAMI – The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $517.5 million at Port Everglades, Thursday.

The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in U.S. courts.

“You heard it said before that the Coast Guard’s national security cutters are game changers in the counter-drug mission, but they still require a crew of men and women willing to serve on or over the sea, and place themselves in harm’s way,” said Capt. Jonathan Carter, commanding officer of Stone. “I’m incredibly proud of our crew’s performance and their efforts to combat narco-terrorism this deployment. In one exceptional case, the crew interdicted four go-fast vessels in 15 minutes, seizing nearly 11,000 pounds of cocaine that will never be mixed with deadly fentanyl to threaten American lives here at home.”

On Dec. 21, Stone’s embarked aircrew from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 321 miles west of Ecuador. Stone’s boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized over 1,630 pounds of cocaine.

On Dec. 22, a maritime patrol Dash-8 aircrew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 180 miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew and boarding team interdicted the low-profile go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 12,220 pounds of cocaine.

On Jan. 9, a maritime patrol Dash-8 aircrew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 148 miles west of Salinas, Ecuador. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew and boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 2,370 pounds of cocaine.

On Jan. 28, Stone’s embarked unmanned aircraft system (drone) crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 459 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. Stone’s boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended five suspected smugglers and seized approximately 3,885 pounds of cocaine.

On Jan. 30, Stone’s embarked UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 715 miles off Mexico. Stone’s boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended two suspected smugglers and seized approximately 3,800 pounds of cocaine.

On Jan. 31, Stone’s embarked UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 630 miles off Mexico. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel to stop, and the boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized more than 2,565 pounds of cocaine.

On Feb. 12, Stone’s embarked UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 655 miles south of Mexico. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel to stop, and the boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized more than 3,640 pounds of cocaine.

On Feb. 18, Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk’s crew detected and boarded a sailing vessel approximately 70 miles northwest of Isla Malpelo, Colombia. Mohawk’s boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 635 pounds of cocaine.

On Feb. 19, Stone’s embarked UAS crew detected multiple suspicious vessels approximately 110 miles south of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessels to stop, and their boarding teams interdicted four go-fast vessels, apprehending eight suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 10,885 pounds of cocaine.

On Feb. 25, Mohawk’s crew detected and interdicted a suspicious vessel approximately 230 miles south of Costa Rica. Mohawk’s boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 1,600 pounds of cocaine and 330 pounds of marijuana. Costa Rican authorities took custody of the fishing vessel, suspects and bulk contraband for prosecution.

On March 10, Stone’s embarked HITRON aircrew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 270 miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the vessel to stop, and Stone’s boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehending two suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 3,980 pounds of cocaine. The transfer of custody from this case will occur at a later date.

“The fight against drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations doesn’t begin at our U.S. maritime borders,” said Cmdr. David Ratner, commanding officer of Mohawk. “Our efforts to defend Americans at home begins with denying drug traffickers access to maritime routes and disrupting the flow far out at sea where we operate alongside interagency and strategic regional partners like Costa Rica.”

The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:

Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. Joint Interagency Task Force-South, in Key West, conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California.

The Coast Guard continues increased operations to interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea. These drugs fuel and enable cartels and transnational criminal organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, threatening the United States.

Each of these interdictions initiate criminal investigations by federal law enforcement partners. Several were tied to the transnational criminal organizations responsible. Drug evidence from these cases is linked to cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government, including Sinaloa and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generaciόn. These interdictions denied those criminal organizations more than half a billion dollars and provide critical evidence for their total elimination.

USCGC Stone is one of four 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Charleston, South Carolina under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command. The U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy where Coast Guard boarding officers train to conduct these missions, in Charleston, celebrated its 20th anniversary on March 14.

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Canada’s Contribution to Drug Interdiction Effort

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A recent Marine Link post regarding a joint Canadian, Colombian, US drug interdiction, “Canadian, U.S. Coast Guards Team on Caribbean Sea Drug Bust”,

On March 1, 2025, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf successfully assisted a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) in conducting a seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. This seizure, supported by Colombian air and maritime assets, has an estimated street value $18.8 million.

HMCS Margaret Brooke and HMCS Harry DeWolf 

also included the graphic at the head of the post.

Notably the Canadian vessels involved are Canadian Navy rather than Canadian Coast Guard. All actual law enforcement actions were taken by embarked USCG teams acting under USCG authority. HMCS Summerside, Edmonton, and Yellowknife are smaller than WMEC210s, at 55.3 m (181 ft 5 in) in length. Canadian interdictions were done in the Eastern Pacific as well as in the Caribbean/Atlantic.

190729-N-AD499-1166 SEATTLE (July 29, 2019) The Royal Canadian Navy Kingston-class coastal defence vessel HMCS Edmonton (MM 703) participates in a parade of ships in Elliott Bay during the 70th annual Seattle Fleet Week. Seattle Fleet Week 2019 is a time-honored celebration of the sea services and provides an opportunity for the citizens of Washington to meet Sailors and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Foley/Released)

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Yellowknife (HMCS-706) pulls into the Port of San Diego to offload $44.2 million worth of cocaine, Sept. 12, 2024. The Yellowknife’s crew interdicted a panga-style boat 430 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, September 5 during a Eastern Pacific counter-narcotics patrol under the direction of U.S. Coast Guard District 11 and Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Levi Read/Released)

“Coast Guard Cutter Valiant offloads $141 million in illicit drugs interdicted in the Caribbean Sea” –News Release

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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant (WMEC 621) and French Navy Frigate FS Ventôse (F733) conduct joint exercises at sea, Sept. 29, 2024, while underway in the Windward Passage. The crew of Valiant conducted a 49-day migrant interdiction operations patrol in the region to protect life at sea and enforce U.S. maritime law. (Photo courtesy of FS Ventôse)

Below is a news release. It included no photos. I wanted to give some more credit to the other units and countries involved, so I have added photos of all four ships involved in the six interdictions. We get a lot of help from allies with territories in the Western Hemisphere–UK, France, and in this case Canada and the Netherlands.

USCGC Joseph Doyle (WPC-1133)

Netherlands OPV Groningen, 19 April 2017.

USCGC Richard Snyder (WPC 1127) participates in Operation Nanook in the Davis Strait on Aug. 4, 2021. Snyder worked alongside USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907), the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Harry Dewolf (AOPV 430), and HMCS Goose Bay (MM 707) in Operation Nanook to enhance collective abilities to respond to safety and security issues in the High North through air and maritime presence activities, maritime domain defense, and security exercises. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Richard Snyder)

March 5, 2025

MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard Cutter Valiant offloads $141 million in illicit drugs interdicted in the Caribbean Sea

MIAMI — Members of Coast Guard Cutter Valiant are scheduled to offload 12,471 pounds of illicit narcotics with a street value of more than $141 million.

WHO: Coast Guard Cutter Valiant, Seventh Coast Guard District

WHAT: The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant’s crew will offload 12,471 pounds of illicit narcotics with a street value of more than $141 million. Media are invited to interview a Coast Guard Cutter Valiant crew member in both Spanish and English.

WHEN: Thursday, March 6, at 9 a.m.

WHERE: Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, 100 MacArthur Cswy, Miami Beach, FL 33139

The offload is a culmination of six interdictions conducted by the crews of:

  • U.S. Coast Guard Valiant
  • U.S. Coast Guard Joseph Doyle
  • Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Groningen
  • Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Harry DeWolf
  • U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations

Media are required to bring media credentials to get on Base Miami Beach. Media who do not have official credentials or do not RSVP will not be allowed entry. It is recommended to carpool due to space constraints. Plan to arrive at the front gate no later than 8:30 a.m. for escort to the pier.

“USS ST. LOUIS (LCS 19) COMPLETES MAIDEN DEPLOYMENT TO FOURTH FLEET” –SURFLANT / Freedom Class LCS Missions

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NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2025) – The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS St. Louis (LCS 19) makes her way back into the basin at Naval Station Mayport, Feb. 24, 2025. LCS 19 deployed in June of 2024 operating primarily in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandon J. Vinson)

Below is a US Navy Surface Forces Atlantic (SURFLANT) news release. The length of her eight month deployment is remarkable particular considering it is with the 4th Fleet (Latin America and the Caribbean). That she apparently made 8 months without a catastrophic breakdown seems to bode well for the health of this class after a history of mechanical problems.

Apparently she was employed in drug interdiction. She “embarked…U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) 105 and 407, disrupted and confiscated over $100 million worth of illicit contraband in five different operations…”

Undoubtably at least one of the LEDETs was embarked during exercise UNITAS 2024. We knew this included “U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET); and USCG Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRTE) Direct Action Section.”

Ever since the Navy decommissioned the last of their Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) class frigates in 2015, there has been speculation and anticipation that Littoral Combat Ships would be regularly employed to do the Drug Interdiction mission that the FFG had been doing. It seemed to make a lot of sense, particularly with regard to the Freedom Class ships, all of which are based in Mayport, Florida, near drug transit zones, but right now it still seems to be treated as an irregular filler mission rather than a primary.

By the end of 2025, the last two LCS, one Freedom class and one Independence class,  should be commissioned. The projected fleet is ten Freedom class, all based in Mayport, FL, and 15 Independence class, all based in San Diego. The Independence class (all of which have even hull numbers) have essentially taken on the Navy’s mine countermeasures mission. The Freedom class, with odd hull numbers, are now nominally devoted to anti-surface missions. What they are doing does not get a lot of visibility.

In 2018, ten years after the first LCS was commissioned, the question was, Will We Start Seeing LCS in SOUTHCOM?

In 2022 it seemed that four to six LCS might be assigned to 4th Fleet, “Could the LCS fleet be getting a new mission?” –Navy Times.

It’s not that the Navy is not doing anything, but commitments seem half hearted. Is this changing? With the new administration’s changed priorities, will they and Fourth Fleet start doing alien migrant interdiction?

24 February 2025–USS St. Louis (LCS 19), a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), returned to Naval Station Mayport this week, concluding its maiden deployment to the U.S. Fourth Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). The eight-month deployment, which lasted from June 15, 2024 to February 24, 2025, marked a series of groundbreaking achievements that underscore the capabilities of the LCS platform and its growing contributions to naval operations.

While assigned to TASK FORCE 45/Destroyer Squadron 40, operating primarily in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, St. Louis, embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 Detachment 4, and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) 105 and 407, disrupted and confiscated over $100 million worth of illicit contraband in five different operations, significantly hampering the activities of transnational criminal organizations.

“From our first week in theater, the crew demonstrated its tactical acumen in locating and intercepting illicit traffickers. Most of these interdictions were conducted at night, requiring long days and late hours but the crew stayed immensely resilient. I am very proud of what the team accomplished,” said Cmdr. T.J. Orth, USS St. Louis’ Commanding Officer.

In August, St. Louis transited the Panama Canal and operated in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, making history as the first FRE-variant LCS to travel as far south as Valparaíso, Chile when she participated in the 65th iteration of UNITAS, the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise. Alongside naval forces from 44 countries, the ship showcased its capabilities in maritime interoperability, enhancing ties with partner nations and furthering regional stability.

After returning through the Panama Canal, St. Louis received new tasking to support U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force-Bravo as that command responded to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti. St. Louis served as a fueling station and Search and Rescue force for 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment (AVN REGT) UH-60 Blackhawks conducting evacuations out of Haiti. To prepare, St. Louis and 1-228th AVN REGT conducted more than 50 deck landings. This successful integration expanded the ship’s operational versatility, paved the way for future joint missions, and underscored the potential for cross-branch collaboration in dynamic environments.

To wrap up USS St. Louis’ maiden deployment, St. Louis Sailors showed their flexibility and capacity to rapidly deploy in support of Joint Task Force Operation Southern Guard onboard U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sailors supported the expansion of the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) in preparing the MOC to receive up to 2,000 illegal aliens, erecting 50 tents and setting up several hundred cots in several days. Operation Southern Guard is highlighting effective interagency collaboration, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees the operation.

“We saw a lot of ‘firsts’ on this ship’s first deployment and it was amazing to see what this ship and crew was capable of. Looking back, this deployment demonstrated the growing potential for Freedom class LCS and the support they can provide not just in the Caribbean, but in the entire Fourth Fleet AOR,” said Cmdr. Lee Shewmake, USS St. Louis’ executive officer. “There were many lessons learned that the crew took to heart and put in practice as deployment went on, and I believe that is what enabled our success over the past seven months.”

“St. Louis demonstrated the great potential of the LCS Freedom class, not only in executing its assigned missions but also in breaking new ground for the community. The professionalism and dedication of this crew have laid a strong foundation for the future of LCS operations,” said Master Chief Roderick Bolton, St. Louis’ Command Master Chief. “USS St. Louis returns home with its crew proud of their achievements and eager to share lessons learned from this historic deployment. As the U.S. Navy continues to evolve, St. Louis has proven itself a capable and innovative platform, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

USS St. Louis’ maiden deployment to Fourth Fleet was a resounding success, marked by numerous milestones and contributions to naval strategy. The ship’s accomplishments highlight the flexibility and utility of the Littoral Combat Ship platform in tackling modern challenges.

USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC-1145) / “CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 Carries Out First Drug Interdiction with New Zealand In Command” –NAVCENT

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(February 7, 2025) Coast Guardsmen from the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) seize illegal narcotics from a stateless vessel in the Arabian Sea. (Photo by U.S. Coast Guard)

Below is a news release from Commander U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs.

221207-N-NO146-1001 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 7, 2022) An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) takes off from U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) transiting the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 7. U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 launched the UAV during Digital Horizon, a three-week event focused on integrating new unmanned and artificial intelligence platforms, including 10 that are in the region for the first time. (U.S. Navy photo)

ANAMA, Bahrain —

A U.S. Coast Guard fast-response cutter, working in direct support of New Zealand-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 of Combined Maritime Forces, seized nearly 2,400 kilograms of illegal drugs from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7.

The interdiction by the Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC-1145) represents CTF 150’s first drug seizure since New Zealand assumed command Jan. 15.

The cutter’s boarding team discovered and seized 2,357kg of hashish from the vessel. After weighing and documenting the haul, the crew properly disposed of the narcotics.

Commodore Rodger Ward, commander of CTF 150, said he’s proud of the team effort that went into making this interdiction a reality after only a few weeks in command.

“Our command is a small cog in a system focused on interdicting illicit trafficking on the high seas,” Ward said. “This is a team effort and this bust would not have been possible without the support of the 46 nations who make up the Combined Maritime Forces.”

Ward noted that every bust we make reduces the flow of finances to terrorist organizations. “This is why we’re here, to contribute to maritime security and protect the rules-based international order,” he said.

Emlen Tunnell is forward deployed to Bahrain. The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships operating in the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest international naval partnership. CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

Combined Maritime Forces is a 46-nation naval partnership upholding the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

“The Caribbean HMS Trent sets record for drug busts in Caribbean deployment” –The Watch

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Crew members form U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 111 and British Royal Navy team embarked aboard HMS Trent (P244) interdicts a semi-submersible drug smuggling vessel in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea, Aug. 26, 2024. Three suspected smugglers and 1,239 pounds of illegal narcotics from this interdiction were transferred to federal custody for prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. (Courtesy image from United Kingdom Royal Navy)

Below is a story from NORTHCOM’s online magazine, “The Watch.” HMS Trent is roughly equivalent to a Medium Endurance Cutter and was operating with a US Coast Guard LEDET on board. You may note that the incident in the photo above occurred after the incident noted in the Watch article. It was actually the eighth intercept by HMS Trent.

THE WATCH STAFF

A U.K. Royal Navy vessel conducted the sixth drug seizure in its 2024 deployment to the Caribbean, confiscating $729 million in illegal drugs. The HMS Trent, a River-class off-shore patrol vessel, has been deployed to the Caribbean to curtail illegal trafficking in migrants, drugs, guns and other contraband as the instability in Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela has worsened. The ship’s mission is to increase security in the region, including overseas territories such as the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“This recent operation highlights the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law in the region,” Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said in a Royal Navy news release. “We are sending a clear message to drug traffickers that nowhere is safe and we will disrupt and dismantle their operations wherever they are in the world.”

A recent bust occurred on August 8, 2024, after the Trent was alerted to suspected smugglers in a speedboat about 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. A U.S. maritime patrol aircraft assisted in tracking the fleeing boat until Royal Marines and U.S. Coast Guard personnel aboard the Trent subdued the craft. The smugglers threw 506 kilograms of cocaine overboard, but all the contraband was recovered along with three men who were turned over to U.S. authorities. “Every member of my team can be proud of another significant haul — the sixth this year,” said Tim Langford, HMS Trent commander.

The Trent’s 2024 deployment included seizures of 6,995 kilograms of drugs as part of a multinational cooperative effort with the Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South). “These successful interceptions disrupt Transnational Criminal Organisations and underscore the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both at home and abroad,” the release stated. “The ship continues to patrol the Caribbean as a reassuring presence to British Overseas Territories during hurricane season (from June to November) and to stem the flow of illegal cargo through the region.”

The Trent replaced the HMS Dauntless, which seized more than $250 million of cocaine in the region in 2023. Last year, the Trent sailed to the Gulf of Guinea to train with African allies, aiding the fight against maritime crime, including piracy and armed robbery, according to Naval-Intelligence.com, a naval affairs news site. The African deployment included the exercise Grand Africa Nemo (GANO), a multinational exercise that includes nations within the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa and international countries such as the U.S. and France. The focus of GANO was to test and develop African nations’ responses to maritime security threats such as piracy and drug smuggling, according to the website.

“Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy offload $44.2 million worth of drugs in San Diego” –D11 / Canada’s Kingston Class

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His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Yellowknife (HMCS-706) pulls into the Port of San Diego to offload $44.2 million worth of cocaine, Sept. 12, 2024. The Yellowknife’s crew interdicted a panga-style boat 430 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, September 5 during an Eastern Pacific counter-narcotics patrol under the direction of U.S. Coast Guard District 11 and Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Levi Read/Released)

Below is an Eleventh District news release.

The Canadians have been helping with drug interdiction since at least 2006.

HMCS Nanaimo, a Royal Canadian Navy maritime coastal defense vessel operating in support of Operation Martillo

The twelve 970 ton, 55.31 m (181 ft 6 in), Kingston class ships like Yellowknife are smaller and slower (15 knots) than the WMEC210s and has a smaller crew but are about 30 years younger, all having been commissioned 1996-99.

Courtesy Photo | USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907) and USCGC Richard Snyder (WPC 1127) practice maneuvering with the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Goose Bay (MM 707) in the Davis Strait on Aug. 13, 2021. In Operation Nanook, the U.S. Coast Guard seeks to work collaboratively with other international partners to enhance collective abilities to respond to safety and security issues in the High North through the air and maritime presence activities, maritime domain defense, and security exercises. (Photo courtesy Royal Canadian Navy)

A larger, but still relatively small Offshore Patrol Vessel, has been proposed as a replacement for the class, the Vigilance project. No decision has been made as yet.

Sept. 12, 2024

Photo Release: Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy offload $44.2 million worth of drugs in San Diego

U.S. Coast Guard District 11

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy offloaded $44.2 million worth of cocaine in San Diego, Thursday morning.

The crew aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Yellowknife (HMCS-706) and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment team interdicted more than 3,100 lbs. of cocaine approximately 430 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, September 5.

“I congratulate the entire crew of the Yellowknife for their successful patrol in the Eastern Pacific, and I thank them for their dedicated service,” said Capt. Tim Lavier, Eleventh Coast Guard District chief of response. “Deploying a Coast Guard law enforcement team aboard a Canadian Navy ship in the Eastern Pacific is a significant showcase of the strong relationship we have built with our Canadian partners.”

Multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, collaborate in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, all play a role in counter-narcotic operations.

“I would like to thank our crew onboard HMCS Yellowknife and our partners with the U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment team, who worked together to support the interdiction of 3,100 lbs. of cocaine,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tyson Babcock, commanding officer HMCS Yellowknife. “We are proud to contribute to the multinational efforts to address illegal trafficking through Operation CARIBBE, Canada’s contribution to U.S.-led enhanced counternarcotics operations under Joint Interagency Task Force South, to impede the flow of illicit drugs and improve the safety and security of North America, the Caribbean and South America.

The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring and interdictions to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is conducted under the authority of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, Calif. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

These interdictions relate to Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) designated investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The HMCS Yellowknife (706) is a Kingston-class Coastal Defence Vessel and is one of 12 maritime coastal defence vessels, and is homeported in Esquimalt, British Columbia. It was accepted into the Royal Canadian Navy in 1997 and commissioned, January 30, 1998.

“Royal Navy makes first ‘narco-sub’ drugs seizure” –BBC

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Crew members form U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 111 and British Royal Navy team embarked aboard HMS Trent (P244) interdicts a semi-submersible drug smuggling vessel in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea, Aug. 26, 2024. Three suspected smugglers and 1,239 pounds of illegal narcotics from this interdiction were transferred to federal custody for prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. (Courtesy image from United Kingdom Royal Navy)

BBC reports,

“HMS Trent has made eight drug seizures since deploying to the Caribbean in December 2023, setting a new record, the Royal Navy added.

“It said the patrol ship had seized more than 9,400kg (20,000lb) of drugs, making it the best hunter of smugglers in the Royal Navy this century.”

Below is the Coast Guard news release regarding the offload.

Sept. 10, 2024

Coast Guard offloads more than $54 million in illegal narcotics interdicted in Caribbean Sea

Coast Guard Seventh District – (305) 415-6683

MIAMI – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Diligence offloaded more than 4,125 pounds of cocaine with an assessed street value of approximately $54 million in Port Everglades, Monday.

Coast Guard crews, working alongside interagency and international partners, seized the illegal drugs in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea during three separate interdictions.

The following assets and crews were involved in the interdictions:

  • Royal Navy ship HMS Trent (P 244)
  • U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific (PAC-TACLET)
  • U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier (WPC 1115)
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO)
  • Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South)

Along with the illicit narcotics, 11 suspected smugglers were apprehended and will face prosecution in federal courts by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“I am extremely proud of our crew’s tenacity and professionalism, coupled with outstanding coordination with Coast Guard aircrews, during this complex counter-drug mission,” said Lt. Matthew Carmine, Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier commanding officer. “Their steadfast efforts, along with those of foreign allies and partner agencies, continue to prove vital to countering drug trafficking organizations and safeguarding the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. The Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Florida conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension. Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, headquartered in Miami.

These interdictions relate to Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces’ (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiatives and designated investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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“UNITAS LXV Begins in Valparaiso, Chile” –SOUTHCOM

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UNITAS LXV commenced today in Valparaiso, Chile, with 17 ships, two submarines, and 23 aircraft operated and supported by more than 4,300 Sailors and Marines from 24 nations. UNITAS is the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise, conceived in 1959 and executed without fail since 1960.

Below is a U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs news release. 

Notably there are no Coast Guard floating units or aircraft participating this year but U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET); and USCG Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRTE) Direct Action Section are providing their special expertise.

This exercise is about disaster response and law enforcement as much as war fighting.

The ship visible in the upper left hand of the photo is a Fassmer designed 80-meter Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV). It is the Chilean Navy’s Comandante Policarpo Toro (OPV-82). Chile has four ships and Colombia three ships built to this design.

The ship immediately astern (red hull and white superstructure) appears to be an icebreaker, but I don’t recognize it.

Sept. 2, 2024

UNITAS LXV Begins in Valparaiso, Chile

VALPARAISO, Chile – Navy and Marine forces arrived in Valparaiso in support of UNITAS LXV (65), the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise in the world, which officially commenced September 2, 2024. 

The Chilean navy is hosting this year’s UNITAS, which will feature 17 warships/vessels, two submarines, 20 aircraft (fixed wing/helicopter), and more than 4,300 personnel from 24 partner nations. Forces will conduct operations off the coast of Valparaiso, Chile, and ashore in the vicinity of Puerto Aldea, Chile, through September 12.

Rear Adm. Rich Lofgren provided opening remarks as U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Deputy Commander, addressing the opportunities to build relationships ashore, including subject matter exchanges, operations briefs, and a Women, Peace, and Security symposium. Creating these spaces to build relationships on shore will pay dividends at during the at-sea phase of the exercise and beyond.

“Sailors go to sea,” Lofgren added. “I look forward with great excitement to joining you at sea, as we conduct combined and joint operations. We will enhance our capabilities and improve our interoperability in these maritime events – together. Make no mistake, all of us will work hard the next 12 days. But we will communicate effectively – together. We will operate effectively – together. And we will overcome obstacles – together.”

UNITAS, which is Latin for unity, united, or oneness, was conceived in 1959 when representatives at the first Inter-American Naval Conference in Panama agreed to conduct an annual maritime exercise with one another. Prior to UNITAS I in 1960, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Arleigh Burke reviewed preparations for the multinational exercise. He commended planners for their progress, especially in building compatible communication systems among navies, and predicted that UNITAS would build strong relationships among Sailors of the Western Hemisphere.

UNITAS I took place in 1960 with forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, the United States, and Venezuela. This year marks the 65th iteration of the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise.

Including the United States, UNITAS LXV will bring together 24 nations from all over the world to train forces in joint maritime operations that enhance tactical proficiency and increase interoperability. Participating nations include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.

Following the UNITAS LXV Opening Ceremony on September 2, the in-port phase of the exercise will feature subject matter expert exchanges, professional symposia, ship rider exchanges, and operations meetings. During this time, Marines and Sailors will conduct training events in Valparaiso to include medical, cyber defense, and diving and salvage operations.

During the UNITAS LXV Underway Phase, forces will participate in events testing all warfare operations, to include live-fire exercises such as a SINKEX and an amphibious ship-to-shore landing and force withdrawal.

Unmanned and hybrid fleet systems will return for a second year to UNITAS with the presence of unmanned undersea vehicles. As part of the U.S. Navy’s future hybrid fleet, the Chief of Naval Operations has tasked U.S. 4th Fleet to scale unmanned platforms to the fleet level.

There are many U.S. forces participating in UNITAS LXV, including USS Germantown (LSD 42), USS St Louis (LCS 19), and USS Hampton (SSN 767). Other U.S. participants include Patrol Squadron Five (VP 5); Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2; Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EOD) 2; Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (MCMGRU TWO); Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 Detachment 4 (HSM 50 Det 4); 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7); 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment (1/24); 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (4th LAR); 4th Reconnaissance Battalion (4th Recon); Combat Logistic Regiment 4 (CLR 4); 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines (2/14); Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 (VMGR-234); Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48 (MWCS-48); Marine Aircraft Control Group – 48 (MACG-48); Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112); U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET); and USCG Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRTE) Direct Action Section. Operational and tactical level leadership will be provided by Commander, Destroyer Squadron 40, (COMDESRON 40); Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven (COMPHIBRON SEVEN); U.S Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH); USNAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT; and U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South is the Marine Corps component to U.S. Southern Command, is responsible for planning exercises, operations, and overall Marine Corps support for the SOUTHCOM assigned area of responsibility.

Atlantic Area Cutter Back in the Eastern Pacific Drug Transit Zone

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The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) poses for a group photo on the cutter’s flight deck during a contraband offload, Aug. 23, 2024, alongside select personnel from Coast Guard Cutters Spencer (WMEC 905), Legare (WMEC 912), Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team, and Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command while moored to the pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Escanaba conducted a 46-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Hillard)

Below is a news release from Coast Guard News.

Two things of note in what would normally be a routine report:

First, despite the fact that most Atlantic Area cutters are closer to the Eastern Pacific drug transit zone than those based on the West coast, recently they have been too busy with migrant interdiction to do drug enforcement in the Pacific. This patrol marks a return to previous practice of having LANTAREA cutters, as well as those from the Pacific Area, working the drug problem in the Pacific.

Second, reading the caption of the photo above, you may note that the crew included “...select personnel from Coast Guard Cutters Spencer (WMEC 905), Legare (WMEC 912)…” Spencer and Legare are at the Coast Guard yard as the first and second of six Bear class WMEC270s that will receive full Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) upgrades.  The crews are reassigned after the ships enter SLEP, so it appears some were temporarily assigned to Escanaba to make up for shortfalls in the crew. The shortfalls may have been exacerbated because the patrol was over the summer transfer season.

 Aug. 29, 2024

Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba completes 46-day counter-drug patrol in Eastern Pacific Ocean

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) returned home to Portsmouth, Wednesday, following a 46-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

While deployed, crew members supported the Coast Guard Eleventh District, headquartered in Alameda, California, and Joint Interagency Task Force – South, headquartered in Key West, Florida.

During the patrol, Escanaba’s crew disrupted illegal narcotics smuggling, interdicting 3,408 pounds of cocaine and 4,418 pounds of marijuana valued at nearly $50 million during two separate interdictions. The drugs were offloaded in Port Everglades, Florida on Aug. 23. Additional information about Escanaba’s drug offload, including photos and video, can be found here.

Escanaba’s drug seizures contributed directly to furthering Coast Guard objectives to combat transnational criminal organizations and enhance regional stability and security.

While at sea, Escanaba’s crew was assisted by members of Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), based in Jacksonville, Florida and members of Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific – Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 107, based in San Diego, California.

HITRON crew members delivered air support for the use of force and enhanced long-range detection capabilities while deployed aboard Escanaba. The TACLET Pacific LEDET supplied skilled boarding personnel critical for mission execution and served as a force multiplier for other law enforcement activities.

“The crew of Escanaba and our shipmates from HITRON and TACLET are to be commended for executing a demanding mission with professionalism and precision,” said Cmdr. Jared Silverman, commanding officer of Escanaba. “In concert with the Coast Guard’s partner agencies and with support from Joint Interagency Task Force – South, the accomplishments of Escanaba serve as a reminder of how vital this mission is.”

Escanaba is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia. The cutter’s primary duties are counter-narcotics operations, migrant interdiction, living marine resources protection, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.

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