Venturous’ crew conducted a 40-day anti-drug patrol within the Coast Guard 11th District area of responsibility in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South.
U.S. Coast Guard photo.
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Venturous (WMEC 625) and a HITRON detachment returned to home following a 40-day anti-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Venturous’ crew deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) and conducted counter-drug missions in the Coast Guard 11th District’s area of responsibility.
Crew members worked alongside an embarked MH-65E Dolphin aircrew from the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) and law enforcement detachment boarding team members from the Tactical Law Enforcement Team – Pacific.
While underway, Coast Guard Cutter Venturous’ crew stopped two drug-smuggling vessels during separate interdictions at sea. During one interdiction, the Cutter’s embarked HITRON aircrew assisted in interdicting a vessel carrying 4,270 pounds of marijuana.
USCGC Venturous and an MH-65E Dolphin aircrew from HITRON conducted a 40-day anti-drug drug patrol within the Coast Guard Eleventh District area of responsibility in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South.
U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Days later, the Cutter’s boarding team interdicted a low-profile vessel and seized approximately 165 pounds of cocaine.
Along with the illicit narcotics, Coast Guard crew members apprehended six suspected smugglers who will face prosecution in federal courts by the U.S. Department of Justice.
While deployed, Coast Guard Cutter Venturous’ crew navigated the Panama Canal enroute to the Pacific Ocean, crossed the equator, travelled more than 8,800 nautical miles and made ports of call in Central and South America.
During a port of call in Manta, Ecuador, the crew hosted five senior officers from the Ecuadorian Navy (Armada del Ecuador) for a tour and diplomatic engagement. The partner-building event highlighted the recent success of enacting a bilateral agreement between the two nations. The “Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Ecuador Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations” was entered in force on Feb. 23. Cutter Venturous also embarked an Ecuadorian Coast Guard (Armada del Ecuador Guardacostas) officer for two-weeks as part of the new shiprider program to help combat illicit maritime activity, including narcotic smuggling operations and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region.
“A St. Petersburg-based cutter, we were hit by both Hurricanes Helene and Milton a month before the scheduled patrol. We took care of each other and Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command shifted our schedule to accommodate the devastation our crew and their families faced,” said Cmdr. Karen Kutkiewicz, commanding officer of Venturous. “I am super proud of my crew, their resilience, and their devotion to duty. Our training came to fruition, and we optimized our time in vector with two drug busts within one week, including an elusive low-profile vessel.”
The Coast Guard plays a critical role in securing U.S. maritime borders and is the lead federal maritime law enforcement agency for drug interdiction on the high seas.
Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. JIATF-S based in Key West, Florida conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs.
Coast Guard Cutter Venturous
USCGC Venturous is a 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutter with a crew complement of 76. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug and migrant interdiction operations, enforcement of federal fishery laws and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The Cutter was commissioned in 1968 and falls under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, which is based in Portsmouth, Virginia.
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