The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Thetis (WMEC 910) poses for a group photo on the flight deck with over 10,000 pounds of interdicted narcotics in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Sept. 8, 2023.
Thetis’ crew patrolled the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western Caribbean Sea in support of the Coast Guard’s mission to combat illegal drug trafficking.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Lauren Daugherty.
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, 2023.
Patrolling in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South, the USCGC Thetis worked alongside other Coast Guard Cutters and U.S. partners to conduct anti-drug operations and fight transnational criminal organizations with the assistance of an embarked aviation detachment from the Coast Guard HITRON (Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron) and one of their MH-65 Dolphin helicopters.
While underway, Thetis seized approximately $70 million worth of illegal narcotics over the course of two counterdrug operations. During one case, Thetis crew members apprehended three suspected drug traffickers. In another case, collaboration with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) maritime patrol aircraft led to the recovery of approximately 5,325 pounds of illegal narcotics by the Thetis’ pursuit team.
USCGC Thetis patrolled the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western Caribbean Sea in support of the Coast Guard’s mission to combat illegal drug trafficking.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Jordan Russell.
“These cases highlight the need for Coast Guard presence in these regions to combat the illegal trafficking of drugs and emphasizes the operational capabilities of our platform and crew,” said Cmdr. Gavin Garcia, the commanding officer of USCGC Thetis. “I am extremely proud of our crew’s dedication and operational achievements during this patrol.”
Thetis is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counterdrug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcement of federal fishery laws as well as search and rescue.
Medium endurance cutters fall under the command of the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. In addition to surge operations, Atlantic Area also allocates ships to deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity.
–USCG–
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