Honolulu, HI – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) has returned to its home port in Honolulu following a 79-day counterdrug patrol across the Eastern Pacific Ocean, during which the crew seized an estimated $156 million worth of cocaine, officials announced Friday. The operation is part of the ongoing “Operation Pacific Viper”, a coordinated effort to combat transnational drug trafficking.
The Mission: 79 Days at Sea Targeting Drug Smuggling Networks
The extensive patrol was carried out under the Joint Interagency Task Force–South (JIATF-S), headquartered in Key West, Florida. JIATF-S oversees detection and monitoring of illegal drug movements across the Eastern Pacific, a region known for heavy maritime narcotics trafficking routes originating from South and Central America.
Once interdiction efforts begin, operational command shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area Command, based in Alameda, California. During this deployment, Midgett’s crew successfully intercepted multiple suspected drug vessels, disrupting major smuggling routes used by criminal cartels.
The estimated $156 million in cocaine seized reflects one of the most substantial interdictions in recent years within the region, underscoring the Coast Guard’s expanding role in counter-narcotics operations across the Pacific.
Partnerships and Tactical Coordination
The Midgett’s crew collaborated closely with several specialized law enforcement and tactical support units, including:
- Tactical Law Enforcement Team South (TACLET SOUTH)
- Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON)
- Contractors operating V-BAT Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
This coordinated approach combined airborne surveillance, advanced maritime tracking, and rapid interdiction tactics to identify and stop smuggling vessels at sea…