A few months at sea, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wasch returned to San Diego Thursday, where more than 37,000 pounds of confiscated cocaine and one crew were defeated at sea, officials said.
The off-roading of adult drug carriers is estimated to be as heavy as a fully grown humpback whales and worth $275 million, according to the Coast Guard. It will be a few days after the search effort has ended. .
Lee, a native of Rancho Cordoba, was found missing at 6:45am last Tuesday. A search crew dedicated to Lee’s scrutiny over 190 hours using drones, aircraft and ships before pausing the search on Monday.
The confiscated cocaine was netted through 11 drug blocking missions off the coast of Mexico and Central and South America from December to mid-February. A moment of silence was held in Lee’s memory at a press conference Thursday, celebrating the seizure.
Colonel Tyson Schofield, commander of Waesche, said: “We are saddened by his loss, but he shares success with all of us today. Our hearts grieve for his losses along with his family, and we are Let us grieve together.”
Coast Guard spokesman Christopher Sappy said it was very rare for a crew to go missing while patrol.
However, he pointed out that they are doing a dangerous job by having smuggling containers boarded directly in challenging sea conditions and seizing drugs found on board. Crews launch stopping missions when suspicious ships are discovered during patrols, and often use semi-penetrating vessels or small vessels to approach these boats and restrain them.
“The Wesch crew faced many challenges during this patrol, overcome the most difficult adversity and still had 11 successful drug engagements,” Scofield said. “Their dedication, strength of character and resilience ensured the success of our mission.”
During the peak performance window, crews completed six drug blocking missions in six days, Scofield said. He added that 33 million medications would be sufficient for the total amount of cocaine seized.
“That means 33 million hits of cocaine that you don’t find on the streets of America,” he said. “This is 33 million cases where we have no chance to mix fentanyl and place that poison on the streets of our country.”
The drugs will be transferred to other US agencies for processing, testing and ultimately destruction, Sappy said.
The attacks are triggered as Vice Admiral Andrew Thionson intensifies efforts by the Coast Guard to disrupt cross-border shipping of illegal drugs by cartels operating in the Central and South American waters.
So far, the Coast Guard and partner agencies are responsible for disrupting the delivery of 150 tons of cocaine and handing over 136 detainees to US law enforcement for criminal prosecution, according to Joan Bourdien. The rear Admiral said.
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