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Coast Guard Cutter made $240M drug bust, returns to Portsmouth

The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to its homeport in Portsmouth after seizing about 18,000 pounds of cocaine.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to its homeport in Portsmouth on Monday.

It just completed an 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During the patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, the multi-mission 270-foot cutter crew successfully interdicted about 18,000 pounds of cocaine.

Credit: USCG
Pictured are bales of cocaine interdicted by the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa (WMEC-902) crew in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Feb. 20, 2019.

RELATED: Local Coast Guard ships help seize over 27K pounds of cocaine

Coast Guard Cutters Tampa, Dependable and Venturous worked with multiple interagency partners during the patrol and were able to prevent a combined total of nearly $380 million in cocaine from reaching the U.S.

RELATED: This is what 27,000 pounds of seized cocaine looks like

The 18,000 pounds of cocaine seized by Cutter Tampa increases the ship’s total to nearly 17 tons of cocaine seized and 17 drug trafficking vessels stopped over the past two years.

“Everyone aboard Tampa worked extremely hard throughout the patrol to ensure our success for every case that crossed our bow,” said Petty Officer First Class Justin Mulkey, a maritime enforcement specialist aboard the cutter. “It’s truly amazing to see firsthand all of that diligence come together in preventing such a significant amount of cocaine from hitting our streets, as well as apprehending multiple smugglers in the hopes of breaking down the drug trafficking organizations."

Tampa’s crewmembers also shared a personal nautical milestone as they crossed the equator during the patrol and earned the distinguished title of Shellback.

The Cutter Tampa was commissioned in 1983. The cutter is responsible for a variety of Coast Guard missions; including search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties, maritime defense, and protection of the marine environment.

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