Maine Coast Guard Seizes Cocaine Worth $209 Million
The Maine Coast Guard Cutter Campbell returned to Kittery Friday after detaining 24 suspected smugglers and seizing close to 12,000 pounds of cocaine - with an estimated value of $209 million.
Campbell and its crew were patrolling on an 80-day counter narcotics mission in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Coast Guard describes Campbell’s patrol below:
Equipped with an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew deployed from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron unit based in Jacksonville, Florida, the Campbell patrolled known narcotic transit zones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central and South America in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South, which facilitates international and interagency interdiction to enable the disruption and dismantlement of illicit and converging threat networks in support of national and hemispheric security.
Campbell has a crew compliment of 100. The 29-year-old Famous-Class cutter’s homeport is Kittery, Maine.
Commanding officer of the Campbell, Cmdr. Mark McDonnell said about the deployment:
During this challenging deployment, the crew excelled in all assigned missions and should be exceptionally proud of their accomplishments,” said Cmdr. Mark McDonnell, commanding officer of the Campbell. “Our efforts to integrate with partner agencies and nations are key to the safe and successful execution of these complex interdiction operations as we work together to remove cocaine bound for the United States and help dismantle criminal networks.
Three sea turtles entangled in fishing gear were also rescued by the Campbell.