The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca’s crew offloaded more than 12,750 pounds of cocaine and marijuana with an approximate street value of $94.5 million in Port Everglades.
Seneca was deployed in support of Operation Pacific Viper. Coast Guard crews worked alongside interagency partners to interdict illicit narcotics in the international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where significant transport of illicit narcotics continues from Central and South America. In coordination with international and interagency partners, the Coast Guard is surging additional assets—cutters, aircraft and tactical teams—to interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs. Operation Pacific Viper continues the Coast Guard’s efforts to protect the Homeland, counter narco-terrorism, disrupt foreign terrorist organizations, transnational criminal organizations and cartels seeking to produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States. Since launching this operation in early August, the Coast Guard interdicted over 80,000 pounds of cocaine.
“I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork and adaptability displayed by my crew and our partners during this patrol to stop illicit drug flow from entering the United States,” said Capt. Lee Jones, commander, Coast Guard Cutter Seneca. “Our crews sacrifice time away from their families, and when necessary, put themselves in harm’s way to secure our borders and protect the American people.”
The following assets and crews were involved in the interdictions:
- Coast Guard Cutter Venturous
- Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton
- Coast Guard Cutter Midgett
- Coast Guard Cutter Stone
- Joint Interagency Task Force-South
- Coast Guard Southwest District
- Coast Guard Southeast District
29 suspected smugglers were transferred to federal custody.
The original announcement can be found here.