Approximately 500 kilograms of contraband recovered by the Royal Netherlands Navy Holland-class offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Friesland in the Caribbean Sea on June 17 was successfully transferred to the US Coast Guard last week.
The Arleigh Burke-class US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Cole, with an embarked US Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET), first received the contraband from the Dutch vessel. The Cole then rendezvoused with the USCG Cutter Northland at sea on June 21 to complete the final transfer.
The initial detection of the contraband was made by the Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) South.
The operation was part of the USS Cole's deployment in support of southern maritime border security operations. Under the coast guard's jurisdiction, the USS Cole employs LEDET personnel to perform vessel boardings, searches and seizures in US and international waters targeting illegal activities at sea, the US Navy said.
The case is now under investigation by the US Department of Justice.