Coast Guard Cutter Offloads $91 Million Worth Of Seized Cocaine, 26 Suspected Smugglers

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Campbell returned to its home port in Newport, R.I., this week after offloading more than more than $91 million in narcotics seized during its 63-day patrol of the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean.

“I am incredibly proud of Campbells crew,” Cmdr. Jonathan Harris, commanding officer of Campbell, said in a statement. “We overcame many obstacles to stand vigilant watches away from our loved ones during the holiday season and worked tirelessly to prevent transnational criminal organizations from harming our communities by seizing tons of narcotics that will no longer cross our maritime borders. More importantly, we contributed to the cycle of justice by ensuring dozens of suspected drug traffickers will stand trial in the United States.”

During the course of the Campbell’s patrol, the crew interdicted a suspected drug-smuggling operation involving six panga boats. The crew detained two suspected drug traffickers and seized approximately 8,061 pounds of cocaine, carrying an estimated street value of more than $91 million.

In total, the Campbell maintained custody of of 49 suspected drug smugglers, and provided care for two search and rescue survivors.

The Campbell offloaded the narcotics at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 27 before returning to Rhode Island. The crew also turned over 26 suspected drug smugglers to authorities for federal prosecution.