Coast Guard Cutter Tampa Offloads About $226.7 Million in Drugs at Port Everglades After Six Eastern Pacific Interdictions
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — The U.S. Coast Guard said on October 16 that the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa offloaded approximately 29,600 pounds of cocaine and 3,355 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $226.7 million, on October 14 at Port Everglades, Florida. The contraband was seized in six interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Coast Guard said the assets and crews involved in the interdiction operations were Coast Guard Cutter Tampa, the Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team – Pacific, LEDET 102, the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Joint Interagency Task Force South, the Coast Guard Southwest District and USS Gridley. "This crew was phenomenal in successfully stopping a combined 32,000 pounds of contraband from reaching American shores," said Capt. Joshua DiPietro, commanding officer of Tampa, adding that the crew intercepted over $226 million in illicit narcotics and continued the disruption of transnational criminal organizations. Other public reports described the seizures as the product of a 60-day patrol in which 15 suspected smugglers were detained; the Coast Guard's written release did not mention the number of detainees.
"The Coast Guard continues to leverage its authorities and partnerships across the Western Hemisphere to degrade Transnational Criminal Organizations' ability to harm American communities," said Vice Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area. "Success stories like these highlight our commitment to continuing to control, secure, and defend the nation's maritime borders and approaches."
The Coast Guard said the offload continues its mission, in support of Operation Pacific Viper, to interdict, seize and disrupt the transshipment of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs at sea, operating under the Coast Guard's Title 14 law enforcement authorities with support from partner nations. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 「坦帕号」小艇船员10月2日在厄瓜多尔外海将缴获的毒品转运至巡逻舰（本次6次拦截行动之一）· 美国海岸警卫队官方图（DVIDS，VIRIN 261002-G-G0107-1001），公共领域
