PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A Coast Guard crew made it home from a nearly three-month deployment Wednesday.
US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa (WMEC 902) sailed into Portsmouth Wednesday afternoon after an 88-day patrol in the Florida Straits and the Caribbean Sea.
While away, the crew contributed to the interdiction, care and repatriation of more than 400 migrants from Haiti, Cuba and the Dominion Republic, according to a news release.
USCGC Tampa and its embarked MH-65E Dolphin Helicopter crew also worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect and intercept two suspected drug smuggling vessels.
They arrested six suspects, took control of the vessels and seized $100,000.
While moored in Cartagena, Colombia, USCGC Tampa's crew hosted a US congressional delegation. They worked with Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) to share information about the methods criminal organizations use to traffic drugs from South America to the United States.
They also discussed how USCGC Tampa and other interagency assets achieve at-sea interdictions, according to the release.
USCGC Tampa used its time in Colombia to boost partnerships with the Colombian Navy and Coast Guard, supporting maritime security within the Americas.