MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) crew is scheduled to offload about 26,000 pounds of seized cocaine and about 1,500 pounds of seized marijuana June 6 at Port Everglades, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.
The drugs were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America, including contraband seized and recovered in more than a dozen interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels by U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships:
Hamilton was responsible for four cases, seizing about 1,400 pounds of marijuana and some 9,000 pounds of cocaine.
Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) was responsible for four interdictions seizing approximately 7,550 pounds of cocaine.
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Whitehorse with a U.S. Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment aboard interdicted two suspected smuggling boats and seizing more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine.
HMCS Yellowknife, also with a Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment aboard, was responsible for one interdiction, seizing more than 50 pounds of marijuana.
The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC-913) was responsible for five cases, seizing nearly 8,600 pounds of cocaine.
“The crew of Hamilton has shown the utmost commitment and dedication to the Coast Guard and to the United States over the course of the last three months,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, commanding officer of the Hamilton.
“It is incredibly difficult for our crew to be separated from family and loved ones for such an extended time, but their perseverance and enthusiasm to conducting this mission was fundamental to our success. Without their determination these criminal organizations would continue to spread fear and violence throughout the Americas.”
Hamilton is a 418-foot national security cutter homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. Resolute is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida. HMCS Whitehorse and Yellowknife are Royal Canadian Navy Kingston-class coastal-defense vessels homeported in Esquimalt, British Columbia. Mohawk is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.
