U.S. Navy, Coast Guard Seize USD 107 Million Worth of Cocaine

U.S. Navy, Coast Guard Seize USD 107 Million Worth of Cocaine

Working with the Colombian Navy and Air Force, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces aboard USS Ingraham (FFG 61) captured a semi-submersible vessel packed with $107 million worth of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific in May.

 

The seizure of such a vessel – classified as a Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible – is a significant feat for U.S. and multinational forces that conduct year-round counter illicit trafficking operations in the waters off Latin America and the Caribbean.

When the semi-submersible was tracked by Ingraham and visually located by its SH-60B Seahawk helicopter and rigid-hulled inflatable boat, the suspected traffickers punctured their hull in an attempt to scuttle the craft.

A U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment from Ingraham boarded the semi-submersible, detained the crew and gained control of the sinking vessel. Ingraham then quickly arrived on the scene and brought the semi-submersible alongside the ship. As the Colombian navy worked to tow the vessel into port, Sailors from Ingraham worked to pump water out of the slowly sinking semi-submersible and kept the vessel afloat long enough to retrieve the contraband loaded inside.

The Coast Guard said the semi-submersible was transporting about 2,380 kilograms of cocaine worth $107 million. Three suspects who crewed the semi-submersible were taken into custody.

The semi-submersible and cocaine seizure was part of Operation Martillo, a multinational effort targeting illicit traffickers and the movement of narcotics, precursor chemicals, bulk cash, and weapons in Central American waters.

Units involved from Ingraham include Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 49 and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment. Ingraham is homeported in Everett, Washington.

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Press Release, June 12, 2014; Image: US Navy