Law enforcement crews aboard the Alameda-based Coast Guard Cutter Waesche seized more than 2,400 pounds of marijuana from a boat approximately 300 miles west of San Diego and apprehended three suspects Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, during a counter-narcotics patrol.
It all began when a Sacramento-based Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft flying above international waters spotted a suspicious boat. As the aircrew flew closer, the boat crew began throwing bales of suspected contraband overboard. The aircrew notified the cutter, which was patrolling nearby. As the Waesche neared the area and its crew spotted the target, it deployed its onboard helicopter and a boarding team on a small boat to intercept the suspected smugglers.
The Waesche’s law enforcement team then took custody of the suspects and recovered 70 floating bales which tested positive for marijuana.
The Waesche is a 418-foot National Security Cutter homeported in Alameda, Calif. It is the second in the newest class of Coast Guard ships designed to execute a variety of challenging missions from maritime security and drug interdictions to search and rescue.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, January 28, 2013; Image: USCG