Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Hunter Schnabel
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro offloaded around 33,768 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $468m, on Tuesday in San Diego, according to a service news release.
The drugs were seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Officials say the drugs were seized through eight separate smuggling vessel interdictions off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America in February and March of this year.
Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, commander of Coast Guard District 11, said in a statement, “I am extremely proud of this crew and their dedication to disrupting organized crime in the Eastern Pacific. The effort put in while interdicting more than 33,000 lbs of cocaine in a few weeks’ time is unparalleled.”
Munro is the sixth Legend Class National Security Cutter, and is homeported in Alameda, Calif.
The seizures took place on:
Feb. 21, 3,946 lbs of cocaine seized
Feb. 24, 3,803 lbs of cocaine seized
Feb. 26, 3,108 lbs of cocaine seized
March 10, 4,709 lbs of cocaine seized
March 17, 7,852 lbs of cocaine seized
March 18, 2,841 lbs of cocaine seized
March 18, 2,841 lbs of cocaine seized
March 23, 4,784 lbs of cocaine seized
“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, Coast Guard cutter Munro commanding officer. “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.”
Multiple U.S. agencies collaborate in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. FBI, coast guard, navy, and other authorities fight against the drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
