PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returned to Portsmouth Thursday after a 78-day patrol.
During their deployment, crews participated in numerous boardings, including a go-fast vessel and a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel, and intercepted over 5,800 pounds of cocaine and 5,400 pounds of marijuana, which has a combined street value of over $109 million.
To start their deployment, Harriet Lane needed to move to northern Chesapeake Bay to avoid Hurricane Dorian. After the storm passed, the crew headed south. They patrolled alongside the Belize coast guard within Belize’s territorial seas. As a result of their deployment, it offered maritime security in the region and it supported the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy.
“Our crew’s professionalism and adaptability were vital to the success of this patrol,” said Lt. Zachary Dietz, the operations officer aboard the Harriet Lane. “They proudly demonstrated the importance of remaining ready, relevant, and responsive in order to address the maritime security challenges our country is facing today.”
The crew of the Harriet Lane conducted the patrol in support of the Coast Guard’s 11th District and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South, and routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, alien migrant interdiction, fisheries, and search and rescue missions.