Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton’s crew offloaded more than 16,100 pounds of cocaine worth an assessed street value of approximately $182.8 million in Port Everglades, Monday.
The crew worked alongside interagency and international partners to interdict the illicit narcotics in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off South and Central America.
Coast Guard crews often deploy to the U.S. Southern Command joint operating area, which includes the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, to conduct counter drug missions in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South. Deployments for cutters assigned to the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command include Panama Canal transits to deny transnational criminal organizations access to maritime trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
“I’m proud of our accomplishments during this three-and-a-half-month deployment,” said Capt. Justin Carter, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton. “The exceptional crew of Hamilton, with the support of an aircrew from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Squadron, demonstrated the greatest professionalism, seamanship and airmanship while executing this important and challenging mission at sea in service to nation.”
The following assets and crews were involved in the interdictions:
- Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton
- Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron
- Joint Interagency Task Force-South
- Eleventh Coast Guard District
Six suspected smugglers were also transferred to federal custody and face prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The original announcement can be found here.
