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Published Thursday, May 7, 2020
After patrolling the
Caribbean Seathe Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk returns to the U.S. The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk.WMEC-913, crew returned to their homeport in Key West, Florida following a 65-day counter-drug patrol throughout the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, informed the U.S. Coast Guard. The ship crew was in support of the U.S. Southern Command Joint Interagency Task Force—South, as well as the Coast Guard’s 11th District and 7th District. The cutter Mohawk crew, with a deployed Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron crew, intercepted four suspected drug vessels, apprehended more than 25 suspected drug smugglers and seized more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine and 1,500 gallons of liquefied cocaine. "Two of these interdictions were coordinated directly with Costa Rican law enforcement agencies to strengthen our partnership, promote stability and the rule of law in the region, and ease pressures on the United States southern border and domestic law enforcement," said the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica in its statement on social media. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the cutter Mohawk’s crew worked with multiple interagency and partner-nation maritime patrol aircrafts and surface assets to counter transnational criminal organizations and hinder the illicit flow of drugs, people, and other dangerous cargo into the United States. Between operational tasking, the cutter crew completed aviation, damage control, seamanship and navigation training to maintain operational readiness and prepare for future multi-mission deployments. On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations. The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires a united effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys in districts across the nation. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is conducted under the authority of the 11th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the Ministry of Security reports, for the third time in less than one month, the U.S. Coast Guard assisted its Costa Rican counterparts in the pursuit of a fast boat and the seizure of cocaine cargo.  On May 2, the U.S. Coast Guard detected a speedboat that was sailing at a distance of 72 nautical miles south of the Quepos Beach Port in Puntarenas Province, said the Ministry. The U.S. and Costa Rican coast guards proceeded with the pursuit of the speedboat, however, "the crew, upon noticing the police presence, threw several packages into the sea and fled,” said the ministry. "These packages were collected by the Costa Rican Coast Guard," the ministry said. They managed to recover 15 black floating packages. Each floating package had a shipment of 433 packages weighing approximately one kilogram of cocaine each. According to the police report, the shipment was seized and delivered to the Drug Control Police as part of the evidence in the case. However, the crew sailing on the speedboat managed to escape, so no arrests were made for suspects, the ministry reported.  On April 12, U.S. Coast Guards detected a boat named Doña Marina donned with a Costa Rican flag, sailing on the Pacific Ocean at 97 nautical miles from Mata Palo Beach in Puntarenas. In a routine inspection, U.S. Coast Guards detected an apparent load of marijuana inside the boat, so they proceeded with the arrest of the four crew members. Upon the arrival of the Costa Rican Coast Guards, the U.S. authorities handed over the detainees and boat, said the ministry in its report. Drug Control Police officers proceeded with the inspection of the ship cargo of 23 packages of marijuana, approximately one kilogram each. The police reported the suspects surnamed Umaña-Villegas, 32, with a criminal record background, Carmona-Marchena, 54, Morales-Rosales, 38, and Murillo-Pérez, 24. The last three without criminal records. The Drug Control Police seized the boat and marijuana as part of the evidence of the case. The four suspects were taken to the cells of the Public Ministry where they were interrogated by the judicial agents and a judge ordered three months of pre-trial prison against them.  A similar case happened on April 7, when the U.S. Coast Guards detained four Costa Ricans for the alleged crime of shipping cocaine cargo. The U.S. Coast Guard officials intercepted the Costa Rican registered boat named Amanda at 87 nautical miles west of Golfito Port in Puntarenas, reported the authorities. After proceeding with the ship's interception, U.S. officials found 771 packages of cocaine hidden inside the ship, each pack weighing approximately one kilogram. U.S. Coast Guards informed the Costa Rican authorities to coordinate the process of transferring the drugs and the detained suspects. According to the police report, only one of the four detained had a criminal record, surnamed Walsh-Marroquin, 40. He was previously arrested for crimes also related to drugs. The remaining apprehended had not been previously arrested: a man surnamed Castillo-Gamboa, 29, a man surnamed Calvo-Gómez, 22, and a man surnamed Chavarría-Mendoza, 65. The Costa Rican Coast Guards and the Drug Control Police sailed 27 nautical miles off the coast of Puntarenas to receive the four suspects and the intercepted boat. The Costa Rican authorities proceeded with the seizure of the drugs and the transfer of the suspects to the cells in the Public Ministry. A Puntarenas criminal court judge ordered four months of pre-trial prison time for them. --------------------- Should U.S. Coast Guards increase its presence in Latin American countries' territorial seas to help fight against drug trafficking? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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