The US Coast Guard, yes, there you go. I said it. Unsung heroes in the drug war. Specifically, for the interdiction of massive amounts of drugs along our 95,471 miles of coastline, in the Pacific, Caribbean, and as far away as the Gulf of Oman.
Some examples include the following:
August 21, the Coast Guard Cutter James brought in a record haul of nearly 60,000 pounds of cocaine and 1,400 pounds of marijuana. The haul was worth an estimated $1.4 Billion.
Between January and March, 21 the drugs interdicted in total worth had an estimated $330 million. They were seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and represented 15 suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America by the following Coast Guard and Navy ships:
The Coast Guard Cutter Munro crew was responsible for nine interdictions, seizing approximately 10,200 pounds of cocaine and 11,450 pounds of marijuana.
The Coast Guard Cutter Bear crew was responsible for two interdictions, seizing approximately 66 pounds of cocaine.
The Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant crew was responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 1,870 pounds of cocaine.
The Coast Guard Cutters Bear and Munro conducted a joint interdiction, seizing approximately 3,747 pounds of cocaine.
Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 107 deployed aboard the USS Freedom was responsible for two interdictions, seizing approximately 1,600 pounds of cocaine and 2,150 pounds of marijuana.
Just this October the Coast Guard in working the Gulf of Oman in coordination with the Royal Navy seized $45 million worth of meth and ten days later the Coast Guard Cutter Harris sized 5,000 kilos of hashish and 800 kilos of meth.
The crew of the cutter Griesser working the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force seized 721 pounds of cocaine.
In mid-September the cutters James and Legare along with the USS Billings and the Royal Netherlands Navy Groningen seized 24,700 pounds of cocaine and 3.892 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $475 million.
Billions of dollars of illicit drugs interdicted and kept from our shores and those of our coalition partners. The Coast Guard – Unsung Heroes.