The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute poses in front of interdicted drugs, Jan. 29, 2024, St. Petersburg, Fla. (Nicholas Strasburg/U.S. Coast Guard)
(Tribune News Service) — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter stationed in St. Petersburg, Fla., offloaded about $55 million worth of marijuana and cocaine that its crew seized during a drug patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, officials announced this week.
Coast Guard Cutter Resolute and its 80-person crew returned from the two-month operation, in which they seized 6,565 pounds of marijuana and about 3,700 pounds of cocaine, according to a news release from the agency.
The 210-foot Resolute and its crew stopped “two suspected drug trafficking ventures,” in which six suspects were detained, officials said.
“Despite being deployed throughout the holiday season, the crew served with professionalism,” Cmdr. Matthew R. Kolodica, commanding officer of Resolute, said in the news release. “The result of their ... effort was an extremely successful patrol which kept $55 million dollars of drugs from reaching its intended destination.”
The Resolute’s primary missions include law enforcement, search and rescue, protection of living marine resources, homeland security and defense operations, international training and humanitarian operations.
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