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The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesch has been very, very busy since the month of December. In that time, they seized over 37,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $275 million.
Last Thursday, the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche crew offloaded the approximately 37,256 pounds of cocaine in San Diego that was seized as a result of 11 separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America.
“The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions,” said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche. “Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.”
One of the challenges Capt. Scofield was referring to was the loss of 23-year-old Seaman Bryan Lee. Just days before offloading the more than 18 tons of cocaine in San Diego, the Coast Guard suspended its search for Lee, who was reported unaccounted for last Tuesday morning.
“Our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Seaman Lee,” said Cmdr. David Stern, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Eleven. “Considering all pertinent factors and available information, we made the difficult decision to suspend the search. This case has been extraordinarily challenging, and the decision to suspend the search pending new information is not an easy choice. We’re thankful for the support from our units and partners who searched a significant region of the Pacific Ocean.”
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche crew offloaded over 37,000 pounds of cocaine in San Diego.https://t.co/gSiyFAtDyO
— Border Report (@BorderReportcom) February 15, 2025
The cocaine seizures were made with the assistance of the Departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, the U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, one of four legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda, California, is responsible for patrolling the open ocean environments of the Southern and Eastern Pacific for narcotics trafficking.
“The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring and interdictions to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a media release announcing the seizures.