MULTIMEDIA RELEASE: Coast Guard Cutter James offloads more than $411.3 million in cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 12/16/2020 05:30 PM EST

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Multimedia Release  

U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast
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Coast Guard Cutter James offloads more than $411.3 million in cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades

The Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) crew offloaded approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and approximately 8,800 pounds of marijuana worth more than $411.3 million at Port Everglades, Florida, Dec. 16, 2020. The Coast Guard's strong international relationships with key partners like the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands enable matched unity of effort to disrupt transnational criminal organizations that threaten America and our partners. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Chief Petty Officer Charly Tautfest).

Editor's Note: Click on image to download high-resolution video.

Members of the Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) crew stand next to approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and 8,800 pounds of marijuana Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 aboard the cutter at Port Everglades Cruise Port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The crew of the cutter James offloaded the cocaine in Port Everglades worth an estimated $411.3 million wholesale value. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Villa Rodriguez. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Garret Byrd wraps bails at Port Everglades, Florida, Dec. 16, 2020. Coast Guard Cutter James is homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose Hernandez) The Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) crew directs a crane operator from the flight deck offloading approximately 23,000 pounds of cocaine and 8,800 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida, Dec. 16, 2020. The James crew patrolled the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt transnational crime organizations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose Hernandez)

 The Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) crew approximately offloads 23,000 pounds of cocaine and 8,800 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida, Dec. 16, 2020. 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. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose Hernandez) A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer forklifts a pallet wrapped with bails at Port Everglades, Florida, Dec. 16, 2020. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, allow for a unity of effort to disrupt transnational crime organizations, which threaten America and our partners. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose Hernandez) A United States Coast Guard law enforcement detachment team store seized narcotics on the RFA Argus during a drug interdiction in the Caribbean Sea, Oct. 23, 2020. A U.S. Coast Guard team deployed with our partners on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South. (Photo by United Kingdom Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus crew)

Radar imagery of a suspected drug runner boat in the Caribbean Sea, Oct. 9, 2020. Royal Marines intercepted a suspect vessel, they were supported by the Wildcat of 815 Naval Air Squadron and the MK4 Merlin from 845 Naval Air Squadron. (Photo by Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus crew) Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez and French ship Germinal are moored together in support of Operation Leeward Horizon in Martinique, France, Nov. 22, 2020. The intent of this operation is to combat illicit activity in the Lesser Antilles/Eastern Caribbean and ultimately to stop criminal organizations through the joint efforts of our partner nations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo) HNLMS Groningen's crew interdicts a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, Sept. 27, 2020. HNLMS Groningen is a Holland-class offshore patrol vessel operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy. (Royal Netherlands Navy photo)

  A Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) 26-foot Over The Horizon (OTH) pursuit crew and a cutter James 35-foot Long Range Interceptor boat crew interdict a 26-foot smuggling panga with three suspected smugglers aboard in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2020. Cutter James is a National Security Cutter with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national defense missions. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Villa Rodriguez) PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 2, 2020) – The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) conducts enhanced counter narcotics operations, December 2, 2020. Gabrielle Giffords is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Allen Michael Amani/Released) A Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) 26-foot Over The Horizon (OTH) pursuit crew and a cutter James 35-foot Long Range Interceptor boat crew interdict a 26-foot smuggling panga with three suspected smugglers aboard in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2020. Cutter James is a National Security Cutter with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement and national defense missions. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Villa Rodriguez)

 Click on images to download high-resolution images.

MIAMI—The Coast Guard Cutter James crew offloaded more than 23,000 pounds of cocaine and nearly 8,800 pounds of marijuana worth more than $411.3 million Wednesday at Port Everglades.

The Coast Guard's strong international relationships, with key partners like the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands, along with our specialized capabilities and unmatched authorities, allow for a unity of effort to disrupt transnational crime organizations, which threaten America and our partner nations.

The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, including contraband seized and recovered during 20 interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by eight American and United Kingdom ships:

"This patrol highlights our crew's continued commitment to protecting the American people from our adversaries," said Capt. Todd Vance, James' commanding officer. "Despite COVID, the James crew demonstrated supreme resilience, and the results of their exceptional performance are being showcased today."

"I am honoured to be able to pay tribute to the successes of the team here today, and recognise the role the Royal Navy and UK National Crime Agency has played in this joint operation," said Commodore Phil Nash, Royal Attaché, United Kingdom Embassy. "Working seamlessly with U.S. and international colleagues, the presence of RFA Argus has prevented the $54 million of drugs offloaded here from reaching the streets in the last few months; taken together with a wider effort this year by UK ships HMS Medway and RFA Mounts Bay, around $650 million of drugs have been stopped. This has been a genuine team effort - the key to success continues to be the close working relationship and collaboration between our nations."

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 requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys in districts across the nation.

During at-sea interdictions, a suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by allied, military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key West, Florida. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific is conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard 11th District, headquartered in Alameda, California. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

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 Legare is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter home ported in Portsmouth, Virginia. The cutter Seneca is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Boston, Massachusetts. The cutter Reliance is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Pensacola, Florida. The cutter Joseph Doyle is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The USS William P. Lawrence is a 509-foot Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The USS Gabrielle Giffords is a 418-foot Independence-class littoral combat ship homeported in San Diego, California. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus is a 574-foot ship homeported in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. 

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