The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball offloaded more than 11,300 pounds of cocaine and more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana worth more than $223 million Thursday in San Diego.
According to a Coast Guard release, the drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Central and South America, including contraband seized and recovered during eight interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels between late February and early March.
"At-sea interdictions of pure cocaine are the most effective way to limit cartel's destabilizing effects throughout the Western Hemisphere," said Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander.
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The drugs were interdicted by the following ships:
- Kimball's crew was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 2,295 pounds of cocaine.
- Coast Guard Cutter Legare's crew was responsible for four interdictions, seizing approximately 4,714 pounds of cocaine and 1,826 pounds of marijuana.
- Coast Guard Cutter Spencer's crew was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 635 pounds of cocaine and 2,250 pounds of marijuana.
Jointly, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Yellowknife and Kimball's crews were responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 331 pounds of cocaine.
Jointly, the crews of the Kimball and Legare were responsible for one interdiction, seizing approximately 3,326 pounds of cocaine.
"It is not just the teams onboard Kimball that made this patrol a success; we also leveraged important collaborations with interagency partners and international allies, like the Canadian crew of Yellowknife, who expanded the reach and capabilities of our joint counter-drug team to achieve greater success together,” said Capt. Thomas D'Arcy, commanding officer of the Kimball.
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Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, also play a role in counter-drug operations.
"Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific are critical to targeting and prosecuting transnational criminal organization leaders and violent criminals. The efforts of Coast Guard cutters and supporting assets prevent the sale and future distribution of hundreds of metric tons of cocaine a year, with seizures of vast amounts of drugs at unprecedented levels. As transnational criminal organizations continue to evolve, so too must our efforts to find them and bring them to justice. It is only by law enforcement and prosecutors working in close coordination that we achieve our common goal of justice," explained Randy Grossman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
The Kimball is a 420-foot Legend-Class National Security Cutter and is homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Legare is a 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter and is homeported in Portsmouth, Va. The Spencer is a 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter and is homeported in Portsmouth, Va. The Yellowknife is a 181-foot Kingston Class Coastal Defense Vessel and is homeported in Esquimalt, British Columbia.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.