On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returned to Alameda after a three-month counter-smuggling patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
Stratton’s deployment began in late March as part of Southern Command’s intensified effort to crack down on narcotics in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific trafficking lanes. She set sail with a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), a sharpshooting Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) aircrew and a Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) boarding team. Together, the crew detected and intercepted five suspected drug smuggling vessels, detained 14 suspected drug smugglers and seized over 6,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $113 million.
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