MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard Cutter James to offload more than 30,000 pounds of cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades

united states coast guard 

MEDIA ADVISORY  

U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast
Contact: 7th District Public Affairs
Office: 305-415-6683
After Hours: 786-367-7649
7th District online newsroom

MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard Cutter James to offload approximately 30,000 pounds of cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades

PACIFIC OCEAN (May 22, 2020) U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91), transfer suspected contraband to U.S. Coast Guard personnel, assigned to the Cutter, James (WMSL 754), left, during a counter narcotics transfer May 22, 2020.

A low-profile go-fast vessel is shown next to the Coast Guard Cutter James in mid-May, 2020 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America.  A panga is shown in the eastern Pacific Ocean off Central America in mid-May 2020.  CARIBBEAN SEA -The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) teams conducts enhanced counter narcotics operations, May 2. The Lassen and the embarked LEDET recovered a total of 65 packages of marijuana, totaling more than 3,500 pounds.

Editor’s Note:  Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 6:30 a.m. with the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs duty officer at 786-367-7649. Only credentialed media will be granted access to the event. Media must arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. for check-in. For a snapshot of the Coast Guard 7th District click here and for a press kit click here.

Security:  Be prepared to show government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license or passport, and media credentials at the security checkpoint. Media must arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. for check-in.

WHO: Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, Acting Administrator Drug Enforcement Administration, Tim Shea, and Capt. Jeffery Randall, commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James.

WHAT: Offload approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and 6,900 pounds of marijuana

WHEN: The press event will take place at 9 a.m. Media should arrive at Port Everglades no later than 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

WHERE: Port Everglades Midport Garage, Eller Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Berth 21

MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) crew is scheduled to offload approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and approximately 6,900 pounds of marijuana Tuesday, all worth more than an estimated $408 million.

The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, and in the Caribbean Sea including contraband seized and recovered during 11 interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by four Coast Guard cutters and two U.S. Navy ships:

  • The cutter James was responsible for four interdictions, seizing approximately 8,400 pounds of cocaine and 3,350 pounds of marijuana.
  • The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC-913) was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 1,700 pounds of cocaine.
  • The Coast Guard Cutter Confidence (WMEC-619) was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 1,089 pounds of cocaine.
  • The Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC-907) was responsible for one interdiction seizing approximately 2,200 pounds of cocaine.
  • The USS Pinckney (DDG-91) was responsible for two interdictions seizing approximately 9,050 pounds of cocaine.
  • The USS Lassen (DDG-82) was responsible for two interdictions seizing approximately 575 pounds of cocaine and 3,575 pounds of marijuana. 

"Under the leadership of U.S. Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard and Navy forces worked side by side to stop the flow of illegal narcotics on the high seas before it could make landfall in Central America and continue its northward journey into the United States," said Capt. Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the cutter James. "Working along side our partner agencies, we continue to take the fight to the drug cartels and make an impact on these criminal organizations who spread this poison on our streets. I couldn't be more proud of my crew and their hard work."

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations. 

The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea 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 law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard 11th District, headquartered in Alameda, California, and the law enforcement phase of operations in the Caribbean is conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard 7th District, headquartered in Miami. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The cutter James is a 418-foot national security cutter home ported in Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter Mohawk is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter home ported in Key West, Florida.  The cutter Escanaba is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter home ported in Boston. The cutter Confidence is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter home ported in Port Canaveral, Florida. The USS Pinckney is a 510-foot Arleigh Burke-class destroyer home ported in Naval Base San Diego. The USS Lassen is a 510-foot Arleigh Burke-class destroyer home ported in Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

 

For those unable to attend, a live stream will be hosted on our U.S. Coast Guard Southeast Facebook Page.

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-USCG-