USCG on the job.

Congrats to the USCG, and my Daughter, on the USCGC Forward.
This is a huge load of drugs that won't be in our schools.

Jerry

Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 11:16 AM
Subject: FW: News Release


> $160 MILLION OF COCAINE OFFLOADED IN ST. PETERSBURG
>
> ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Coast Guard Cutter Tornado will deliver more
> than 5,000 pounds of cocaine and six suspected smugglers to agents from
> Operation PANAMA EXPRESS here today.
>
> The drugs were seized from a smuggling go-fast vessel April 16, through a
> team effort by the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's
> Office of Air and Marine Operations, and the U.S. Navy.
>
> The pursuit began in the early hours that morning when the go-fast was
> detected by a patrolling CBP AMO P-3 maritime patrol aircraft flying in
> support of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), based in Key
> West, Fla.
>
> JIATF South alerted the patrolling ships, USS Doyle, with an embarked
> Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, and USCGC Forward, directing them
> to attempt to stop the suspicious vessel.
>
> The crew of Doyle, using their embarked helicopter, began pursuit of the
> suspect vessel while the crew of Forward moved into position ahead of the
> fleeing go-fast. During the chase, the helicopter crew observed the
> suspected smugglers jettisoning possible contraband overboard.
>
> More than five hours after the chase began, with Doyle's helicopter in
> pursuit, Forward was able to move in position to issue warning shots in
> front of the go-fast vessel compelling it to stop.
>
> Once stopped, a boarding team from Forward was dispatched to the suspect
> vessel. The vessel was ultimately determined to be without nationality
> and subject to U.S. jurisdiction. The six people on board, five claiming
> to be Colombian and one Mexican, were taken into custody and transferred
> to Forward.
>
> Meanwhile, Doyle and its helicopter conducted a search for the jettisoned
> contraband, eventually recovering 77 bales of cocaine, weighing
> approximately 5,100 pounds.
>
> The drugs, with an import value of more than $160 million, represent the
> most recent seizure as a result of Operation PANAMA EXPRESS, a
> longstanding Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation
> based out of Tampa, Fla.
>
> Members of the "Operation Panama Express" team include the U.S. Attorney
> for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard, JIATF-South,
> Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Drug Enforcement Administration
> (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue
> Service - Criminal Investigative Division, the Florida Department of Law
> Enforcement, and the Sheriff's Offices from Pinellas and Sarasota
> Counties.
>
> With five months still remaining in Fiscal Year 2005, which began Oct. 1,
> 2004, already more than 140,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized on the
> high seas. Prior to FY 2004's record shattering seizure of more than
> 240,000 pounds of cocaine, the record for maritime seizures had been
> 138,000 pounds.