USCGC Tampa interdicts US$240 million in drugs during 85-day patrol

The crew of the US Coast Guard Famous-class cutter Tampa has completed an 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

During their patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, the cutter’s crew successfully interdicted approximately eight tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of US$240 million.

Tampa has since returned to its homeport of Portsmouth, Virginia. The cutter’s tally now stands at nearly 15 tonnes of drugs seized and 17 drug-trafficking vessels stopped over the past two years.