ASTORIA, Ore. – The Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC 630) crew and a HITRON MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew seized almost 5 tons in cocaine in Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Cutter’s crew returned to their homeport for the last time after a 59-day counter-narcotics, the last patrol for the Alert’s out of its current homeport of Leer másCoast Guard Cutter Alert and the HITRON seized 5 tons of cocaine[…]
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC 620) crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from HITRON returned from a 60-day counterdrug patrol and offloaded approximately $55 million worth of illicit narcotics in St. Petersburg. Monday, January 29, 2024. Patrolling in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South, the Cutter Resolute crew stopped Leer másCoast Guard Resolute and HITRON returns with $55M in narcotics[…]
MIAMI – A Coast Guard crew’s airborne use of force to stop a non-compliant vessel suspected of smuggling illicit narcotics during anti-drug operation in the Caribbean Sea resulted in a fatality, Jan. 2, 2024. Two other suspected smugglers were apprehended and face prosecution in U.S. federal courts by the Department of Justice. The seized contraband, approximately Leer másCoast Guard reports fatality on anti-drug mission, Caribbean Sea[…]
Story by Ensign Jordan Sykes, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area PENSACOLA, Fla. — The crew of USCGC Diligence (WMEC 616) returned to homeport in Pensacola after a 52-day anti-drug patrol in the Caribbean Sea in which interdicted six cocaine smugglers. Thursday, December 14, 2023. During the patrol, USCGC Diligence’s crew worked in support of Joint Leer másUSCGC Diligence interdicts six cocaine smugglers in Caribbean Sea[…]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The USCGC Confidence (WMEC 619) and a HITRON detachment returned home following a 62-day anti-drug patrol to the Caribbean Sea. September 20, 2023. The Cutter Confidence has its homeport in Cape Canaveral and the MH-65 Dolphin aircrew from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) in Jacksonville. From their homeport in eastern Florida, Leer másUSCGC Confidence and HITRON crew returns after anti-drug patrol[…]
KEY WEST, Florida – The USCGC Thetis crew (WMEC 910) and a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from the HITRON seized 70 million dollar in narcotics during a counter-drug patrol. The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis returned homeport to Key West following a 55-day patrol in the Western Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Friday, September 15, Leer másUSCGC Thetis and HITRON seized 70 million dollar in narcotics[…]
PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The USCGC Bear (WMEC 910) and a HITRON aircrew returned home to Coast Guard Base Portsmouth with $186 million in cocaine following a 65-day Caribbean Sea patrol. Thursday, June 22, 2023. While underway in the Coast Guard 7th District’s area of responsibility and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Leer másUSCGC Bear and HITRON returns home with $186 million in cocaine[…]
ASTORIA, Ore. — The USCGC Steadfast (WMEC 623) and crew returned to their Astoria homeport, Tuesday, following a 69-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. USCGC Steadfast’s crew disrupted the flow of illegal narcotics on three separate occasions during their patrol preventing a combined total of more than 7,500 pounds of cocaine, valued at Leer másUSCGC Steadfast returns home after counter-narcotics patrol[…]
In this documentary series, the U.S. Coast Guard spoke with retired Captain Walter Reger, the third commanding officer of HITRON (Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron). HITRON operations started as an experiment in 1998 to halt the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. Drug trafficking organizations primarily used «go-fast» boats, high-speed smuggling vessels capable of traveling Leer másCaptain Walter Reger, Coast Guard HITRON history series[…]
MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Northland (WMEC 904) offloads approximately 5,363 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $101 million in Port Everglades, Friday, along with 11 suspected smugglers who were apprehended to face prosecution in federal court by the Department of Justice. The drugs were interdicted, during five separate cases, in the Leer másCoast Guard offloads more than $101 million in cocaine[…]
