PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard cutter Legare (WMEC 912) returned home to Portsmouth on Thursday.
Legare crew returned from a seven-week, counter-narcotics patrol in the Central Caribbean.
The deployment was in support of Operation Unified Resolve/Martillo under Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) and the Seventh Coast Guard District, according to a news release.
The Legare worked alongside Customs and Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Navy, and other partner agencies.
During its time at sea, the Legare disrupted more than $23.5 million 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."
