While self-styled “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth is blowing boats out of the water off the coast of Ecuador and in the Caribbean and calling their dead occupants, including possibly innocent fishermen, “narcoterrorists,” the U.S. Coast Guard is still running actual law enforcement operations, netting tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine each month by using boarding teams and interagency partnerships, reported Maritime Executive on May 14. The latest example is the success of cutter USCGC Tahoma, which recently interdicted three separate smuggling boats off the coast of Colombia in a single day.
In total, the Tahoma’s crew captured about 2.8 tonnes of cocaine valued at roughly $45 million—enough for about 2.3 million street doses, the service estimated. “Interdicting three vessels simultaneously is a testament to the unwavering professionalism, precision, and dedication of our crews,” said Cmdr. Nolan Cuevas, Tahoma’s commanding officer. “This interdiction prevented a significant number of illegal narcotics from reaching America’s shores, and their teamwork underscores the Coast Guard’s mission to protect our nation and saving lives.”
And, they have suspects who can be prosecuted and evidence to prosecute them with.