Coast Guard detains 6, confiscates over 5K pounds of cocaine in counter-narcotics patrol

PORT ANGELES, Wash. — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active returned home to Port Angeles on Tuesday after a counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The 57-day patrol aimed to support the Joint Interagency Task Force-South’s (JIATF-S) counter-narcotics campaign. Throughout the operation, crews recovered 5,800 pounds of cocaine and detained six suspected narcotics traffickers.

Crewmembers also helped rescue five fishermen from Ecuador after they were stranded on their boat for an estimated 19 days.

The Active is a 210-foot “medium endurance cutter” that is under the command of the Coast Guard Pacific Area. Active supports the Coast Guard’s eleventh and thirteenth districts as well as JIATF-S.

“I am extremely proud of the crew and their relentless pursuit of our mission objectives,” said Cmdr. Adam Disque, commanding officer of the Active. “These back-to-back operations were exceptionally well coordinated, which included the tactical employment of an interdiction helicopter, multiple surface boat deployments, and our highly trained boarding teams.”

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