PORT ANGELES — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter based in Port Angeles is being credited with helping stop a massive shipment of illegal drugs bound for the United States.
The USCGC Active, homeported in Port Angeles, offloaded more than 27,500 pounds of cocaine in San Diego on Monday. The drugs have an estimated street value of nearly $204 million.
The seizure followed three separate drug interdictions in international waters off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Two of the interdictions were carried out by the crew of the Active, with a third conducted by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro.
Coast Guard officials say the missions required long hours and challenging conditions at sea, with crews remaining focused on stopping drug shipments before they can reach U.S. communities.
The operations were part of Operation Pacific Viper, a Coast Guard surge effort aimed at disrupting transnational criminal organizations and reducing the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States. Officials say the effort is especially important as agencies work to combat cocaine trafficking and the spread of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.
The 210-foot medium-endurance cutter Active, based in Port Angeles, routinely operates throughout the Eastern Pacific, supporting counter-narcotics patrols, search and rescue missions, resource protection, and homeland defense.