U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa’s crew ended Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale with the offload of approximately 3,750 pounds of cocaine and marijuana worth an estimated $12.3 million, Wednesday, at Port Everglades.
The seized contraband was the result of two interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crew of USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul and their embarked Navy helicopter and Coast Guard law enforcement detachments.
“We train diligently and stand ready to execute interdiction missions at moment’s notice,” said Cmdr. Steven Fresse, Minneapolis-Saint Paul commanding officer. “To be able to make an immediate impact so early on during our maiden deployment is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew.”
The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:
- USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21)
- U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) South, LEDET 406
- U.S. Navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50, DET 3
- Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South)
- Seventh Coast Guard District command center watchstanders
“Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale was a great opportunity for our Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps crews to showcase our sea services to communities here in South Florida,” said Cmdr. Walter Krolman, Tampa commanding officer. “Today’s offload demonstrates the value of our collaborative joint force operations far out to sea in protecting and defending Americans here at home from threats abroad.”
The original announcement can be found here.