Coast Guard Cutter Offloads $275 Million Worth Of Cocaine In California After Losing Crew Member At Sea

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche on Thursday offloaded more than $275 million worth of cocaine in California after facing “numerous challenges” on patrol, including the loss of a crew member.

The crew of the Waesche offloaded 37,256 pounds of cocaine in San Diego on Thursday, the result of 11 separate interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific, off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America, between December and February.

“The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions,” Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, said in a statement. “Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.”

One of those challenges was an extensive search for Seaman Bryan K. Lee, 23, which was called off on Monday. Lee was serving aboard the Waesche when he was reported unaccounted for on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 4, after last being seen about eight hours earlier.

The Waesche was about 300 nautical miles south of Mexico when Lee was reported missing, and the cutter “immediately deviated” from its course to launch a search. The Waesche’s helicopter crew and drone began searching the area, joined by two Customs and Border Protection Dash-8 aircraft, a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft, a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft, and a Mexican Navy offshore patrol vessel and maritime patrol aircraft.

After searching some 19,000 square nautical miles over nearly 190 hours, the search was suspended.

“Our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Seaman Lee,” Cmdr. David Stern, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Eleven said in a statement Monday. “Considering all pertinent factors and available information, we made the difficult decision to suspend the search. This case has been extraordinarily challenging, and the decision to suspend the search pending new information is not an easy choice. Were thankful for the support from our units and partners who searched a significant region of the Pacific Ocean.”