Coast Guard crew from St. Petersburg returns home in time for the holidays

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 12/18/2017 03:06 PM EST

united states coast guard 

News Release  

Dec. 18, 2017
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Tampa Bay
Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Tampa Bay
305-965-4672

MULTIMEDIA RELEASE: Coast Guard crew from St. Petersburg returns home in time for the holidays

 

 The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 to their homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean. The crew of the Resolute, a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, transited over 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter narcotics laws and conducting search and rescue in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy that focuses on combating transnational organized crime networks. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael De Nyse) The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 to their homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean. The crew of the Resolute, a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, transited over 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter narcotics laws and conducting search and rescue in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy that focuses on combating transnational organized crime networks. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael De Nyse) Family and friends greet the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute as they return home Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 to their homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean. The crew of the Resolute, a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, transited over 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter narcotics laws and conducting search and rescue in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy that focuses on combating transnational organized crime networks. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael De Nyse) A crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute is greeted Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 at their homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean. The crew of the Resolute, a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, transited over 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter narcotics laws and conducting search and rescue in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy that focuses on combating transnational organized crime networks. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael De Nyse)

 

Editor's note: Click on the images to download high resolution video and photos.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returned home Monday to St. Petersburg following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean.

The crew of the Resolute transited over 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter narcotics laws and conducting search and rescue in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy that focuses on combating transnational organized crime networks.

During the patrol, the crew interdicted about 700 kgs of cocaine worth an approximate wholesale value over $20 million from a Colombian flagged bulk freighter. The freighter, bound for Panama, was stopped in Panamanian territorial seas under the bilateral agreement. Disposition was awarded to Panama and Resolute’s crew turned over custody of the vessel, six suspected smugglers, and bulk contraband to Panamanian authorities.

"Successful interdictions deep in the drug-transit zones off South and Central America require collaboration across the U.S. interagency and in some cases, with international partners,” said Cmdr. Carmen DeGeorge, commanding officer of the Resolute, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter. “In this specific case, we were able to proactively leverage our cooperative agreements with partner nations to successfully interdict a significant load of cocaine; it's a great example of the U.S. Coast Guard's global presence and our strong international relations."

The Resolute’s patrol was in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), as a part of Operation Martillo. Eighteen  countries partner in this operation, providing land and maritime assets to disrupt illicit trafficking routes off the coast of Central and South America. To date, partner nation efforts have contributed to 57 percent of all disruptions to illicit trafficking and 60 percent of the metric tons captured as part of the Operation Martillo initiative.

The Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, homeported in St. Petersburg and has a crew of 77. Medium endurance cutters, like the Resolute, are slated for replacement by a new class of cutter – the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). With the ability to operate more than 50 miles from land, the OPC will be a multi-mission asset, providing surface and air pursuit capabilities and interoperability with other military and federal partners.

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-USCG-