Huge drug haul offloaded
$159m load of cocaine seized by US Coastguard cutter Active.
Baird Maritime reports that the US Coastguard Cutter, Active, has docked in her home port of Port Angeles in Washington State and unloaded a cargo of seized cocaine worth $159m on the black market. She returned home earlier this month after a 46-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Active was tasked with patrolling the sea off the coast of Central America and logged over 10,000 nautical miles at sea. An armed coastguard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter accompanied the cutter from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) in Jacksonville, Florida. The chopper’s crew are specially trained in airborne use of force (AUF).
During a 72-hour time frame, Active was able to intercept two vessels suspected of drug smuggling and her crew were able to seize approximately 4,200 kilograms of cocaine. Her anti-drug efforts also resulted in the detention of 13 suspected narcotics traffickers.
