iStockphoto
It has been quite a bad week for cocaine smugglers.
First, we reported that some scuba divers found over a million dollars worth of cocaine in a reef in the Florida Keys.
Then, at Port Everglades in Broward County, Florida, the United States Coast Guard offloaded over two tons of cocaine worth over $63 million that they had confiscated.
❌❄️@USCG Cutter Resolute's crew offloaded more than 4,800 pounds of cocaine, worth over $63 million, at @PortEverglades, Thurs. This offload was the result of 2 interdictions by HNMLS Groningen with embarked USCG LEDET 110 and HITRON, 24 miles north of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/efJcbD8f4i
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 6, 2024
Those seizures, however, were nothing compared to what the 150 member crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro – a Legend Class National Security Cutter – dropped off when they returned to their home port in Alameda, Calif.
During their multi-mission deployment, the Munro seized nearly 35,000 pounds of cocaine, more than 3,000 pounds of marijuana, and more than 140 pounds of the ketamine-based hallucinogenic party drug “tuci.”
According to a U.S. Coast Guard press release, “Combined, the seized narcotics are worth an estimated $500 million in wholesale value and $2 billion in street value.
“Munro conducted a bulk offload of the illicit narcotics in San Diego, where the narcotics were turned over to federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration for destruction.”
During the missions, they used a helicopter and aircrew from the Jacksonville, Florida-based Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), who fired “warning shots” toward eight non-compliant suspect vessels and “disabling fire” on four non-compliant suspect vessels, “stopping the vessels by shooting out their engines and allowing surface assets to gain positive control.”
Welcome home @USCG Cutter Munro! After a 4-month deployment to the Eastern Pacific, the crew is back in Alameda after interdicting $500M in drugs, conducting IUU fishing enforcement, and medevacking an injured mariner. Great job, Munro! #BravoZulu #USCGhttps://t.co/JUtFvbEyGl pic.twitter.com/zRZtWCBlXU
— USCG Pacific Area (@USCGPACAREA) June 6, 2024
“The crew put in an incredible amount of work over very long hours, and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” said Capt. Rula Deisher, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Munro.
“Their dedication and grit goes to show that Munro is one of the best national security cutters in the fleet, and we are committed to keeping the country safe by stopping illegal drugs before they hit the street. There isn’t a better crew to serve with and I’m honored to have spent my final patrol with them.”