72 Bales of Cocaine...Another Day on the Job!

[Tamaroa]

Charleston Cutter Dallas Offloads 2 Tons Of Cocaine
U. S. Coast Guard
December 5, 2003


KEY WEST, Fla. -- Media are invited to Group Key West to view the 378-foot Charleston, S.C., -based Coast Guard Cutter Dallas offload more than 4,600 pounds of cocaine Friday morning at 8:30 at the Group.

The 72 bales of cocaine were recovered by Dallas following the disruption of three separate smuggling events in the Caribbean during the month of November.

In the first event, Nov. 3, a British maritime patrol aircraft detected and tracked a northbound go-fast. The crew of the Dallas intercepted the go-fast north of Colombia. The smugglers jettisoned their bales of cocaine in order to increase speed enough to outrun the cutter?s fast inflatable boat. The Dallas crew recovered one 65-pound bale and searched for more, when they were diverted to another case.

This second event occurred south of the Dominican Republic Nov. 4. Another British maritime aircraft detected and tracked a northbound go-fast. The crews of the Coast Guard Cutters Dallas, Vashon and Cushing attempted to surround the go-fast. The smugglers jettisoned their cocaine in order to increase speed enough to outrun the cutters and the small boat into Venezuelan territorial seas. Six bales weighing a total of 390 pounds were recovered by the Dallas crew and the Cushing picked up another six bales.

The third event occurred once again north of Colombia Nov 12. A go-fast was detected and tracked by a British aircraft . Eventually, surveillance was turned over first to a Coast Guard aircraft followed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement aircraft. The Dallas teamed up with the Cutter Diligence to intercept the go-fast. The Diligence launched their MH-68 Sting Ray helicopter and Dallas took tactical control of the aircraft. Once on scene, the Sting Ray's aircrew observed the vessel's crew throwing the bales of cocaine into the water.

Unable to stop the go-fast by using radio calls, signals and warning shots, the Sting Ray aircrew used disabling gun fire to stop one of the go-fast?s three outboard engines. The four smugglers stopped shortly thereafter and were detained by Dallas crewmembers. More than 4,200 pounds of cocaine were recovered. The go-fast was towed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where it, along with one sample bale of cocaine to be used for evidence and the four suspected smugglers were turned over to ICE agents.

The Diligence is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter home ported in Wilmington, N.C.

The HITRON MH-68 Sting Ray helicopters and crews are based out of Jacksonville, Fla.

The Cutters Vashon and Cushing are 110-foot patrol boats home-ported in Puerto Rico.


Bill