PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to its homeport in Portsmouth on Saturday after a counter-drug mission that resulted in the seizure of nearly 33,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth an estimated $226.7 million.
The 270-foot medium endurance cutter returned to Hampton Roads on Oct. 17, just days after its crew offloaded approximately 29,600 pounds of cocaine and 3,355 pounds of marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida, on Wednesday.
According to the Coast Guard, the drugs were seized during six separate interdiction operations in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The seizures were part of ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking operations and prevent illegal narcotics from reaching the United States.
Capt. Joshua DiPietro, commanding officer of the Tampa, praised his crew for its work throughout the mission.
"This crew was phenomenal in successfully stopping a combined 32,000 pounds of contraband from reaching American shores," DiPietro said. "By honing their maritime skills, standing the watch and working together, they intercepted over $226 million in illicit narcotics."
DiPietro said the operations required extensive coordination and long hours at sea, highlighting the crew's ability to carry out complex missions.
"Their resounding teamwork during complex operations is astounding. I commend them on their tremendous tenacity and true camaraderie as they worked through long days and nights to successfully complete difficult cases and continue the disruption of transnational criminal organizations," he said.
The interdictions involved several military and law enforcement units working together, including the Coast Guard's Tactical Law Enforcement Team-Pacific, Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard Southwest District and the USS Gridley.
The operations were conducted as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a broader effort involving federal agencies and international partners to combat drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.
According to the Coast Guard, those partnerships help authorities identify suspected drug trafficking vessels, monitor their movements and intercept illegal shipments before they reach their destinations.
Vice Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian, commander of the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area, said the seizures demonstrate the importance of continued cooperation among law enforcement agencies and military partners.
"The Coast Guard continues to leverage its authorities and partnerships across the Western Hemisphere to degrade Transnational Criminal Organizations' ability to harm American communities," Burdian said.
"Success stories like these highlight our commitment to continuing to control, secure, and defend the nation's maritime borders and approaches."
The Coast Guard says its counter-drug operations are designed not only to remove illegal narcotics from circulation but also to disrupt the financial networks supporting international drug trafficking organizations.
Officials say the Coast Guard's continued presence in the Eastern Pacific and other major trafficking corridors has prevented billions of dollars in illegal drug revenue from reaching criminal organizations.
The Cutter Tampa operates under the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command and is homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Saturday's return marks the conclusion of another counter-drug mission for the cutter and its crew, whose latest operations resulted in the seizure of more than $226 million worth of illegal narcotics.
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