Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded approximately 49,010 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $362 million at Port Everglades this week. The massive seizure, a result of 15 interdictions from the Eastern Pacific Ocean, also marks the largest capture of cocaine by a single cutter during one patrol in Coast Guard history.
Capt. Anne O’Connell, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Stone, thanked her crew for the record-breaking interdiction in a statement.
“I am extremely proud of the crew’s incredible performance during this deployment,” O'Connell said. “This offload demonstrates our increased posture and continued success in the fight against narco-terrorism and transnational criminal organizations. The Coast Guard, in conjunction with our inter-agency and international partners, continues to patrol areas commonly associated with drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, denying smugglers access to maritime routes by which they move illicit drugs to our U.S. land and sea borders.”
According to the Coast Guard, the seizure was part of Operation Viper, a counter-drug operation based out of the Eastern Pacific. The initiative is part of the Coast Guard's effort to seize cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea, including from the Eastern Pacific.
In addition, they noted interdictions have stopped the traffic of illegal fentanyl from coming into the United States. The Coast Guard also specified that the seizures have denied criminal organizations over half a billion dollars in illicit revenue.
It also follows another offload by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma at Port Everglades earlier this year.
Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard also congratulated the crew on the bust.
"The success that we are seeing here today is what happens when we have a Commander in Chief who empowers leaders, Coast Guard men and women, our service members across the force, our intelligence analysts, and professionals to do the job that they signed up to do," Gabbard said.
The operation, along with the Cutter Stone, was assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron Jacksonville, Joint Interagency Task-Force South, Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders, and Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders.
