Coast Guard Cutter Legare returns home after 50 day counter-narcotics deployment

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 295-8435 5th District online newsroom

Coast Guard Cutter Legare returns home after 50 day counter-narcotics deployment

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Legare (WMEC 912) returned to its homeport at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, after a seven week counter-narcotic patrol in the Central Caribbean on Thursday.

The crew of the Legare was deployed in support of Operation Unified Resolve/Martillo under the tactical control of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) and the Seventh Coast Guard District.

The Legare crew patrolled over 8,000 nautical miles throughout the Central Caribbean where they worked in conjunction with Customs and Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Navy, and other partner agencies.

While on patrol, the Legare provided surface support to Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters that were forward-deployed to Air Station Borinquen, which specialize in airborne interdiction tactics. With the combined efforts of JIATF-S and allied nation assets, the Legare disrupted over $23.5 million dollars in contraband while patrolling known smuggling routes south of the Dominican Republic.

"Once again the crew of Legare successfully overcame the dual challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and operating a 30-year old ship to complete our operational and unit objectives with resounding mission success,” said Cmdr. Malcolm Belt, commanding officer of the Legare. “I am especially appreciative of Legare’s family and friends ashore who support our crew while they continue to deal with COVID-19. In many ways, their lives at home right now are more difficult than ours at sea."

Prior to arriving in the Caribbean, the Legare successfully completed the 2021 Cutter Mid-Cycle Training Availability (CMTA) with Afloat Training Organization – Mayport in Florida. CMTA is a demanding week-long training period designed to evaluate onboard training teams and the crew’s response to emergency scenarios that may occur while on patrol. 

The Legare is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth.

-USCG-