A specialized law enforcement team from the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed on board the cruiser USS Leyte Gulf successfully stopped and captured a semi-submersible vessel carrying large amounts of cocaine in an area where the U.S. Southern Command operates.
This happened in March when the crew of the USS Leyte Gulf spotted a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel used for smuggling drugs while patrolling the Atlantic Ocean.
The Coast Guard team launched a small boat to intercept the smuggling vessel, detaining the people on board and confiscating about 2,370 kilograms of cocaine.
Lieutenant Commander Travis Lee, who is in charge of aviation operations on the Leyte Gulf, praised the team’s efforts, saying that finding the smuggling vessel was like finding a needle in a haystack. He mentioned that in his seven years of experience, this was the first time they had managed to locate and capture such a vessel.
This operation came after a series of successful drug busts by the USS Leyte Gulf crew. In February, while patrolling the Caribbean Sea, the ship stopped three different vessels involved in drug trafficking. These operations, which involved both U.S. and other countries’ forces, resulted in the seizure of a total of 1,720 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $43.05 million.
Captain Nathan Diaz, the commanding officer, commended the Leyte Gulf team for their readiness to carry out all three interceptions. He attributed the success to the cooperation between partner nations, the Coast Guard, and the crew of the Leyte Gulf.