PENSACOLA, Fl. - The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless returned to their homeport in Pensacola, Florida, Wednesday, after a 58-day patrol in the Gulf of Mexico.
During their two-month patrol, the cutter supported several Eighth Coast Guard District mission areas, including search and rescue, enforcement of domestic living marine resource regulations and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity near the U.S. and Mexico maritime border.
The crew deterred three Mexican vessels caught illegally fishing in U.S. waters and recovered three miles of long line fishing gear, preventing the illegal harvesting of red snapper and other regulated Gulf of Mexico fish species.
They also conducted five safety boardings of U.S. flagged commercial fishing vessels to ensure the proper safety equipment was onboard and crewmembers were properly trained in safe seamanship practices.
The crew's employment in south Texas waters supported Operation Patriot Curtain, which addressed threats to border security and U.S. sovereignty near the maritime boundary line.
During the patrol, the crew collaborated with the Mexican Naval Warship Arm Independencia to share operational best practices. This beneficial exchange allowed the Dauntless crew to demonstrate effective interoperability with a key international maritime partner while conducting a shared mission of combating transnational threats.
The crew stopped in Galveston, Texas, the ship's homeport from 1995 to 2018, and hosted over 400 tours for the Galveston community. The ship was honored by the city council with a proclamation declaring May 15th, "Sin Miedo" Day in honor of Dauntless's motto, "Sin Miedo," meaning, "Without Fear."
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