Release from Coast guard 7th District 

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USCGC Thetis returns home following 66-day multi-mission Caribbean Sea patrol 

KEY WEST, Fla. – The crew of the USCGC Thetis (WMEC 910) returned to their home port in Key West, Thursday, following a 66-day patrol in the Florida Straits and Caribbean Sea.   

Thetis’ crew contributed to the interdiction, care and repatriation of 125 migrants from Haiti and Cuba while patrolling the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry and Homeland Security Taskforce — Southeast.  

During the patrol, Thetis’ crew rescued 31 Cuban migrants from an overcrowded, adrift and homemade vessel in the South Florida Straits. The boarding team safely embarked the migrants aboard Thetis, where Petty Officer 1st Class William Ice, a health services technician assigned to Thetis, provided a lifesaving emergency procedure for one of the migrants. During another case, Thetis watch standers spotted a Haitian sailboat in distress and provided rescue assistance to the 13 Haitians.  

Additionally, working with Bahamian Customs Department, Thetis safely returned 54 Haitian migrants to their point of departure in the Bahamas after their overcrowded and unseaworthy vessel was intercepted in transit to West Palm Beach, Florida.  

“I am so proud of the crew’s hard work and professionalism this patrol,” said Cmdr. Gavin Garcia, commanding officer of Thetis. “It takes a great deal of teamwork within the ship as well as coordination with other organizations to meet the demands of two of the Coast Guard’s main missions in the South Florida Straits: search and rescue and maritime law enforcement.”    

Thetis is a 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-narcotics operations, migrant interdiction, living marine resources protection, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.   

Release from U.S. Naval Central Forces Command Public Affairs

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MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized more than $30 million of heroin and methamphetamine from a fishing vessel transiting the Gulf of Oman, May 8. 

Operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) seized 580 kilograms of methamphetamine and 35 kilograms of heroin from a vessel transiting international waters after departing Chah Bahar, Iran. 

CTF 150 is one of four task forces that form the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, Combined Maritime Forces. Naval forces supporting CTF 150 have seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated U.S. street value of nearly $200 million in 2023. 

Glen Harris arrived in the Middle East last year and operates from the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain where CMF is headquartered with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. 

The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. 

“The dedication and expertise of Glen Harris’s leadership and crew embody our commitment to interdict and remove illicit narcotics from the sea, denying malign actors the ability to destabilize the region,” said Capt. Eric A. Helgen, PATFORSWA’s commander. “I could not be more proud of our fast response cutter crews.” 

Currently led by the United Kingdom, CTF 150 conducts maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations and their related illicit activities, including the movement of personnel, weapons, narcotics and charcoal. These efforts help ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region free from non-state threats. 

U.S. and international naval units in the Middle East seized illegal drugs totaling $1 billion in value from 2021 to 2022. 

Release from United States Coast Guard 

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May 4, 2023 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier crew and Caribbean Corridor Strike Force agents offloaded 901 pounds (411kgs) of cocaine Wednesday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following the interdiction of a smuggling vessel north of Puerto Rico. 

The three men apprehended in this case are Dominican Republic nationals who are facing federal prosecution in District Court of Puerto Rico for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Aboard a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. 

The Transnational Organized Crime Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution for this case, while Special Agents supporting the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force are leading the investigation. 

During a patrol Saturday night, the aircrew of a Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspect go-fast vessel north of Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watch standers at Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Joseph Napier that arrived on scene in pursuit and stopped the 30-foot blue and white go-fast vessel, apprehended three men and recovered 12 bales of suspected contraband that tested positive for cocaine. 

“I’m extremely proud of our crew, especially the pursuit team, for their tactical proficiency and resiliency in stopping this drug-smuggling vessel from entering Puerto Rico,” said Lt. DeVonte Weems, Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier commanding officer. “It was a great team effort with seamless coordination between Coast Guard surface, aerial, and shoreside units that resulted in a successful interdiction.” 

The interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Cutter Joseph Napier is a 154-foot fast response cutter that is homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard 17th District 

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May 3, 2023 

KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and crew recently returned to its homeport of Kodiak following a successful 30-day patrol in the Bering Sea. 

Nicknamed the “Bulldog of the Bering,” the Alex Haley and crew maintained a vigilant search and rescue presence throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands enforcing federal fishery laws and ensuring mariners maintained all required safety equipment.  

The Alex Haley embarked a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter and aircrew from Air Station Kodiak for the patrol, significantly increasing the range and speed at which the cutter could respond to search and rescue cases. In early April, the aircrew responded to a medevac request for a patient in King Cove. The helicopter and aircrew navigated over 170 miles in low visibility, successfully transporting the patient to Cold Bay where they were transferred to a higher level of care. 

The Alex Haley crew sailed over 2,000 nautical miles from the Alaskan Peninsula to Adak and north of the Pribilof Islands. They also steamed west and crossed the 180th Meridian into the eastern hemisphere where they conducted a time-honored naval ceremony. 

Training and drills were performed throughout the patrol ensuring mission readiness. Crewmembers donned firefighting gear for simulated engine room fires, arranged dewatering pumps for flooding drills, and manually navigated the cutter without GPS all of which enhanced proficiency in damage control and navigation. 

“As always, I am very proud of the crew’s accomplishments,” said Cmdr. Brian Whisler, Alex Haley’s commanding officer. “They worked incredibly hard during a short 30-day patrol, completing essential qualifications, trainings, and operations.  We’re thrilled to return to our families here in Kodiak and begin preparations for the next patrol.” 

Alex Haley is a 282-foot Medium Endurance Cutter that performs search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement and vessel safety inspections across Alaska and has been home-ported in Kodiak since 1999. 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area 

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April 26, 2023 

USCGC Tampa returns home following 88-day multi-mission Caribbean Sea patrol 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the USCGC Tampa (WMEC 902) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, Wednesday, following an 88-day patrol in the Florida Straits and Caribbean Sea. 

Patrolling in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry and Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility, Tampa’s crew worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, federal agents from throughout the U.S., partner nations in the Caribbean Sea and the Royal Netherlands Navy conducting maritime safety and security missions to detect, deter, and intercept unsafe and illegal migrant ventures as well as drug trafficking voyages bound for the United States.  

During the patrol, Tampa’s crew contributed to the interdiction, care, and repatriation of 428 migrants from Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Tampa and its embarked MH-65E Dolphin helicopter crew collaborated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect and intercept two suspected drug smuggling vessels, leading to the arrest of six suspects, possession of the vessels and a seizure of $100,000.  

While moored in Cartagena, Colombia, Tampa’s crew hosted a United States congressional delegation, working with JIATF-S to present information regarding the various methods transnational criminal organizations use to traffic drugs from South America to the United States and how Tampa and other interagency assets achieve at-sea interdictions. Furthermore, Tampa leveraged the time in Colombia to enhance partnerships with the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Coast Guard, boosting maritime security within the Americas.    

“This is my last patrol on Tampa, and once again, this crew impressed with exceptional teamwork and superb dedication across a wide variety of missions,” said Cmdr. Sky Holm, commanding officer of Tampa. “They persevered to keep themselves and this 39-year-old asset in the highest state of readiness while thoughtfully caring for each other in the process. I am extremely proud to have been given the opportunity to serve with them these past two years. Additionally, I want to acknowledge all our loved ones ashore, who provide us strength while we are deployed – we could not accomplish our mission without their support!” 

Tampa is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-narcotics operations, migrant interdiction, living marine resources protection, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here. 

Release from U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs 

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By U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs 

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN  –   

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) conducted a brief stop for supplies and personnel off Iceland’s west coast while operating in the High North, April 26, 2023. 

San Juan’s presence in the region comes after the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs informed the United States that U.S. Navy submarines will be allowed to make such short visits in Iceland to receive supplies and exchange crew members, as the Allies work to increase monitoring and response capacity in the North Atlantic. 

This visit enhances regional maritime domain awareness and increases the safety of underwater infrastructure such as submarine cables. It also paves the way for future stops as needed and as supportable. 

“We thank our Icelandic Allies for allowing San Juan to conduct this brief stop for supplies and personnel in Icelandic waters,” said Capt. John Craddock, Commander Task Force 69. “This visit demonstrates the strength of the Iceland-U.S. strategic relationship and our mutual commitment to maritime domain awareness and increased response capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The ability to conduct these stops out of Iceland greatly increases our operational flexibility in the Greenland-Iceland-U.K. Gap.” 

Iceland and the United States, both founding members of NATO, enjoy a decades-long strategic relationship built on a foundation of shared values and common approaches to regional challenges and opportunities. Iceland has provided host country support to U.S. and Allied maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from Keflavik Air Base. 

Iceland also hosted exercise Northern Viking in April 2022, a joint and coalition live exercise which strengthened interoperability and force readiness among Iceland, the U.S., and Allied nations, and is currently supporting NATO’s annual anti-submarine warfare exercise Dynamic Mongoose. 

Allowing U.S. submarines in Icelandic waters is part of Iceland’s defense commitments and an important contribution to the common defense of the NATO member states. San Juan does not carry nuclear weapons and its visit comes in cooperation with Iceland’s Radiation Protection Authority, Coast Guard and the Office of the Inspector General of Police. 

For more than 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. 

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. 

Release from Navy Region Southeast 

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24 April 2023 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – For the next week, Southeast Florida residents will have the opportunity to see and tour Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships as the 32^nd Fleet Week Port Everglades kicks into gear. 
 
U.S. Navy destroyer, USS Cole (DDG 67), a ship commissioned in 1996 in Fort Lauderdale, was the first to arrive followed by the amphibious dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), expeditionary fast transport USNS Newport (T-EPF-12) and the fast attack submarine USS Indiana (SSN 789) early, Sunday morning, April 23.  USCGC William Flores (WPC-1103) will arrive Monday. 
 
Reservations were taken to tour the ships and more than 9,000 slots were filled in advance of the arrival for Monday through Saturday tours.  
The Navy Band will perform at more than 15 venues across the city including performing the national anthem for the Florida Panthers playoff game April 23 and the Miami Marlins Friday, April 28.  
 
“We look forward to being in Port Everglades to spend time with the outstanding citizens of South Florida,” said Rear Adm. Tom Williams, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO. “We are proud to be able show the community our ships as well as the outstanding Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Merchant Mariners who make our Naval Service – Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command – the very best in the world.” 
 
In addition to the ships; equipment displays, Marine and Navy recruiting information and Navy environmental programs will be available for visitors to see as they wait for their tours. 
 
More than 100 servicemembers will also endeavor to say “thank you” to the local community through volunteer efforts at various locations across Fort Lauderdale. Sailors and Coast Guardsmen will mentor and visit with students from several area schools, help refurbish areas around the Naval Air History Museum, visit veterans at a senior facility, and support youth fitness at two separate YMCA events. 
 
Monday brings a new event where the ships will host more than 800 JROTC students from Broward County Schools for tours as part of a Fleet Week STEM summit.  About 300 JROTC cadets from Miami will visit Tuesday morning as part of the youth VIP tours. 
 
The Sailors will also participate in a series of other events including: an all-hands welcome ceremony involving the mayor; a salute to veterans event and a salute to women in the military;  a traditional chili cook-off against local fire and police teams; and a Damage Control Olympics competition which will pit teams of Sailors from each ship and the USCG against each other through a series of challenging events at a damage control trainer. 
 
Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer, USS Cole is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. USS Cole is named in honor of Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole, a machine gunner who was killed in action at the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japan, on Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II. 
 
USS New York is the fifth ship in the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, and the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named after the great state of New York. A special tribute to the people that died on 9/11 is the 7 and ½ tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center and cast as USS New York’s bow stem. 
 
USS Indiana was the 16^th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine built.  Fast-attack submarines like USS Indiana are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. 
 
USNS Newport is a 338-foot-long aluminum catamaran designed to be fast, flexible and maneuverable, even in austere ports, making it ideal for rapidly transporting troops and equipment within a theater of operations. The ship can be tasked with, anything from carrying containerized portable hospitals to support disaster relief to transporting tanks and troops. The ship is the twelfth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport and operated by Military Sealift Command 
 
Information on events and activities may be found by visiting Https://Browardnavydaysinc.Org/ or on Facebook at Https://Www.Facebook.Com/FleetWeekPortEverglades 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area 

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The crew of the USCGC Resolute (WMEC 620) returned to their home port in St. Petersburg, Tuesday, following a 63-day patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Straits and Caribbean Sea. 

Patrolling the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry, Resolute’s crew conducted migrant interdiction operations protecting the United States’ southern maritime border. Working alongside Coast Guard and joint interagency assets, Resolute’s primary mission was to detect, deter, and intercept unsafe and illegal maritime ventures bound for the United States. 

Throughout the patrol, Resolute’s crew interdicted three migrant vessels and rescued 40 migrants from unseaworthy vessels attempting to make the dangerous voyage across the Florida Straits. Resolute’s crew also supported and cared for an additional 190 migrants interdicted by other Coast Guard assets. Most notably, following Resolute’s rescue of 17 migrants from Cay Sal Bank, a remote island near the Bahamas, the crew medically evacuated an unresponsive Cuban migrant by a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater to a nearby medical facility. 

“I could not be prouder of this crew and what they were able to accomplish during this patrol,” said Cmdr. Michael Ross, the commanding officer of Resolute. “They answered the call and responded to every case with dignity, compassion and professionalism.” 

Resolute is a 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here. 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area 

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April 24, 2023 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the USCGC Forward (WMEC 911) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, Saturday, following a multi-week training exercise and counterdrug deployment in the central Caribbean Sea. 

While underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Forward traveled more than 6,000 miles conducting counterdrug operations as part of a multi-faceted approach to combatting illicit narcotics trafficking across maritime borders. 

Part of this effort included international partnerships with the HNLMS Holland (P840) of the Royal Netherlands Navy and other U.S. military vessels, including USCGC Campbell (WMEC 909), USCGC Margaret Norvell (WPC 1105), and USS Little Rock (CL 92). 

Throughout the patrol, Forward held approximately 4,700 pounds of cocaine on deck worth an estimated $81 million. Forward intercepted three suspected narcotics smugglers earlier this month and held nine others throughout the patrol. On Tuesday, the crew conducted a further offload to partner agencies in Port Everglades, Florida. 

“The crew lived up to our namesake ‘Ever the Sentinel’ and was ready to take on any mission,” said Cmdr. Staci Rutsch, Forward’s commanding officer. “Forward’s crew demonstrated the Coast Guard’s resiliency and adaptability by maintaining proficiency in interagency and international operations while upholding the ability to meet the nation’s maritime demands. I am truly impressed and thankful for their devotion to duty.” 

Forward is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s list of mission sets include law enforcement, search and rescue, protection of living marine resources, homeland security and defense operations, international training and humanitarian operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit www.GoCoastGuard.com to learn more about active duty and reserve officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found at www.uscga.edu. For more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Release from the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area

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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crew of the USCGC Stone (WMSL 758) returned to their home port in North Charleston, Sunday, following a 105-day patrol in the South Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Florida Straits.  

Stone deployed in the Coast Guard’s Seventh District area of operations in support of U.S. Southern Command for Operation Southern Cross and Coast Guard Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast for Operation Vigilant Sentry. While underway, Stone’s crew worked to counter illicit maritime activities, strengthen regional maritime sovereignty and facilitate the safety of life at sea.   

During Operation Southern Cross, Stone conducted operations to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU-F) by partnering with South American countries to provide maritime domain awareness and information sharing on potential IUU-F vessels and other illicit maritime activity.   

Stone embarked officers from the Brazilian Navy and provided real-time reports to their shoreside watch floor. Stone’s crew also conducted at-sea exercises with Brazilian and Uruguayan naval forces. These operations involved law enforcement boarding demonstrations and a search and rescue exercise with a Uruguay Naval Air Force helicopter crew. An embarked unmanned aircraft system (UAS) bolstered Stone’s capabilities and captured imagery of over 300 vessels.   

During Operation Vigilant Sentry, Stone hosted an offshore Commander Task Unit (CTU) and facilitated the coordination and tasking of 10 cutters while conducting migrant interdiction operations. Working under CTU tasking, Stone interdicted 69 migrants at sea and facilitated safe repatriation to their country of origin.    

“This patrol has been about partnerships, whether coordinating efforts with partner countries to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing within the Atlantic Ocean or the multi-agency response within the South Florida Straits for migrant interdiction,” said Coast Guard Capt. Clinton Carlson, Stone’s commanding officer. “Everyone displayed proficiency and excellence throughout the patrol during all evolutions, training drills, or operations. I am incredibly proud of the hardworking crew and their dedication over this 105-day deployment.”   

Stone’s crew completed port visits in Montevideo, Uruguay, Suape and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The crew hosted multiple high-visibility events including maritime domain awareness round table discussions with senior government officials, key leader engagements and community relations events. The visits culminated in diplomatic receptions aboard Stone, including the U.S. Ambassadors to Brazil and Uruguay and senior government and military officials from the respective countries. These collaborative engagements supported U.S. initiatives to enhance regional cooperation, strengthen and fortify effective governance and preserve the ocean as a healthy, sustainable and resilient resource for future generations.  

Stone is the ninth Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) in the Coast Guard fleet and currently homeports in North Charleston, South Carolina. NSCs execute homeland security and defense missions throughout the maritime environment.   

Information about the U.S. Coast Guard’s efforts to combat IUU-F, including the Coast Guard’s IUU-F Strategic Outlook, the National 5-Year Strategy for Combatting IUU-F, and other resources, can be found here.  

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, reserve, officer, and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.