This month, the crew of the US Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun confiscated $74 million in cocaine during a single interdiction in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and five suspected smugglers were apprehended.
On April 12, the Calhoun spotted a “suspicious” fishing vessel “exhibiting behavior consistent with narcotic trafficking” in international waters around 1,265 miles west of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. The crew launched a small boat to intercept the vessel.
The crew seized approximately 10,000 pounds of cocaine and captured five accused smugglers, who are now in U.S. custody awaiting prosecution.
“This interdiction demonstrates the Coast Guards unwavering commitment to combating transnational criminal organizations (TCOs),” Vice Adm. Nathan Moore, commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, said in a statement. “Our dedicated crews, in close coordination with interagency and international partners, continue to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics, which serves as a critical strategic action that disrupts the financial networks of TCOs, undermining their ability to fund further illicit activities that threaten our communities.”
The Calhoun, commissioned in 2024, is stationed in North Charleston, South Carolina.
