Coast Guard
Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloads $182.8 million in seized cocaine
Stars and Stripes
December 3, 2024
The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, which worked in conjunction with a collection of interagency and international partners, offloaded more than 16,100 pounds of cocaine Monday at Port Everglades, Fla. (Eric Rodriguez/U.S. Coast Guard)
A large haul of cocaine — more than 16,100 pounds of cocaine, with an assessed street value of $182.8 million — is off the market.
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, who worked in conjunction with a collection of interagency and international partners, offloaded the drugs Monday at Port Everglades, Fla.
Six suspected smugglers were also transferred to federal custody and face prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. The cocaine was seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off South and Central America.
“I’m proud of our accomplishments during this 3½-month deployment,” said Capt. Justin Carter, commanding officer of the Hamilton. “The exceptional crew of Hamilton, with the support of an air crew from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Squadron, demonstrated the greatest professionalism, seamanship and airmanship while executing this important and challenging mission at sea.”
The assets and crews involved included:
•Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton.
•Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron.
•Joint Interagency Task Force-South.
•Eleventh Coast Guard District .
Hamilton is one of four 418-foot National Security Cutters homeported in Charleston, S.C. NSCs are a worldwide deployable asset that supports Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense and national objectives through drug interdiction, migrant interdiction, national defense, search and rescue, fisheries enforcement and national intelligence collection, according to the Coast Guard. The ship has a crew of approximately 150.