Coast Guard offloads more than $92 million worth of cocaine in San Diego

Coast Guardsmen prepare bails of cocaine to be offloaded from the Coast Guard Cutter Alert in San Diego, October 16, 2019. The crew aboard the Alert offloaded approximately 6,800 pounds of cocaine. 

Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Gray.

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard offloaded more than $92 million worth of seized cocaine in San Diego Wednesday.

The cocaine, worth more than $92 million, was seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The contraband represents four suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions by the crews of three Coast Guard cutters off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America between late July and early October by the following Coast Guard cutters:

• Alert (WMEC-630) was responsible for two cases, seizing approximately 4,000 pounds of cocaine
• Robert Ward (WPC-1130) was responsible for one case, seizing approximately 1,500 pounds of cocaine
• Seneca (WMEC-906) was responsible for one case, seizing approximately 1,400 pounds of cocaine

The Coast Guard Cutter Alert crew conducted a drug offload in San Diego, Oct. 16, 2019. The crew offloaded more than 6,800 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $92 million, seized in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Gray.

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security are involved in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with allied and international partner agencies play a role in counter-drug operations. The fight against transnational organized crime networks in the Eastern Pacific requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions to prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys throughout the country.

"I am extremely proud of this crew for doing their part to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets," said Cmdr. Tyson Scofield, Alert’s commanding officer. "The Eastern Pacific Ocean is a challenging environment, especially on a ship that is in her 50th year of service, yet this crew persevered to disrupt the illegal flow of narcotics that fuels instability in Central and South America. The counter-drug mission is as important now as it has ever been, and these brave men and women can return home after a 69-day patrol knowing they made a difference."

A suspected smuggling vessel drifts in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean after being intercepted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alert in October. Approximately 2,000 pounds of cocaine were seized and three suspected smugglers were detained. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The Coast Guard increased the U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off of Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy. During at-sea interdictions in international waters, a suspect vessel is initially located and tracked by allied, military or law enforcement personnel. The interdictions, including the actual boarding, are led and conducted by U.S. Coast Guardsmen. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific is conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard 11th District headquartered in Alameda.

Bales of cocaine lie stacked under the deck of a suspected smuggling vessel in October interdicted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alert in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Approximately 2,000 pounds of cocaine were seized and three suspected smugglers were detained. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The Alert is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Astoria, Oregon. The Robert Ward is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in San Pedro. The Seneca is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Coast Guard Cutter returns to Boston after offloading over 12,000 pounds of cocaine

The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC-906) crew underway on the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The cutter Seneca is the sixth of thirteen 270' Famous Class medium endurance cutters in the United States Coast Guard fleet. Home ported in Boston's historic North End, SENECA moors within a short walk of such landmarks as the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, USS CONSTITUTION, and TD Garden - Home of the Celtics and Bruins.  

CoastGuard Photo.

BOSTON — The​ U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returned home to Boston after a 93-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Friday, Sept. 27.

Seneca intercepted three drug smuggling vessels transporting cocaine from South America bound for the United States. The interdictions during this patrol resulted in the apprehension of nine suspected narcotics traffickers and more​ than​ 12,000 pounds of cocaine with a street value of nearly $174 million dollars.​

Bales of cocaine lie in the hull of a suspected smuggling vessel intercepted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean August 17, 2019. The seizure of the contraband was one of three interdictions by the crew during a patrol of drug transit zones off the coast of Central and South America. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo.

"Counter-drug operations are a vital component to the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security's mission and our national security," said Cmdr. John Christensen, commanding officer of the cutter Seneca. "I am exceptionally proud of this crew who, over the course of the last three months, rose above the challenges of conducting operations at sea, persevered through many personal sacrifices and showed an unwavering dedication to serving our nation."

Throughout the patrol, Seneca rescued 22 Haitian Migrants, conducted joint exercises with the Honduran Navy, transited the Panama Canal, and spent several months combating illicit narcotics smuggling across the Eastern Pacific Ocean with a deployed armed Coast Guard helicopter team from Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) Jacksonville.

The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC-906) crew offloaded more than 12,000 pounds of cocaine Sept. 20, 2019 at Coast Guard Sector Miami. The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, including contraband seized and recovered by multiple Coast Guard cutter crews in more than a dozen interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally.

These interdictions were in support of Operation Martillo, a regional​ initiative targeting illicit trafficking that threatens security and​ prosperity at the national, regional, and international levels.

Coast Guard Cutter Seneca is a 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter with a crew complement of 100.​ Seneca missions include counter-narcotics, migrant interdiction, search and rescue and living marine resource operations from the Gulf of Maine to the Pacific Ocean.

For more information and video from Seneca's offload, click here.

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Coast Guard Cutter Seneca to offload more than 12,000 pounds of cocaine in Miami

The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC-906) crew underway on the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Sept. 22, 2018. The cutter Seneca is the sixth of thirteen 270' Famous Class medium endurance cutters in the United States Coast Guard fleet. Home ported in Boston's historic North End, SENECA moors within a short walk of such landmarks as the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, USS CONSTITUTION, and TD Garden - Home of the Celtics and Bruins. 

U.S. Coast Guard Photo.

The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC-906) crew is scheduled to offload more than 12,000 pounds of cocaine Friday at Coast Guard Sector Miami.

The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, including contraband seized and recovered in over a dozen interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by U.S. Coast Guard cutters:

• The cutter Seneca was responsible for two cases, seizing approximately 2,800 pounds of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma (WMEC-908) was responsible for three interdictions seizing approximately 2,500 pounds of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL-757) was responsible for two cases, seizing approximately 5,700 pounds of cocaine.
• The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant (WMEC-621) was responsible for one case, seizing approximately 1,000 pounds of cocaine.

"These down range counter-drug operations are a vital component to the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security's mission and our national security. These operations enable us to extend our maritime borders, weaken the economic engine of Transnational Criminal Organizations, contribute to enhancing stability and security across our partner nations within Central America, and they combat the drug epidemic within our local communities," said Cmdr. John Christensen, commanding officer of the cutter Seneca. "I am exceptionally proud of this crew.  Over the course of the last three months they rose above the challenges of conducting operations at sea, persevered through many personal sacrifices and showed an unwavering dedication to serving our nation."

The cutter Seneca’s crew along with those of the other ships conducted operations targeting transnational criminal organizations in conjunction with Joint Interagency Task Force-South, Department of Defense, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice, and a number of other Coast Guard aircraft. The cutter Seneca’s presence and efforts are critical to disrupting and dismantling the transnational criminal organizations that attempt to smuggle these drugs through the ocean and into Central and North America.

The cutter Seneca is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Boston. The cutter Tahoma is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Kittery, Maine. The cutter Midgett is a 418-foot national security cutter homeported in Honolulu. The cutter Valiant is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Jacksonville, Florida. 

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