U.S. Coast Guard officials in Astoria, Ore, say that Cutter Alert returned home from a 50-day counter-patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Oct. 13, having seized an estimated 1,300 pounds of cocaine.
The crew of 75 conducted multiple law enforcement boardings in international waters off the coasts of Central and South America, including interception of a suspected smuggling vessel, where cocaine with an estimated value of $17 million wholesale was seized.
Cmdr. Tobias Reid, commanding officer of the Alert, praised the crew of the Alert, saying that they “once again exceeded all expectations.”
Coast Guard cutters operate under the tactical control of Coast Guard District Eleven in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South while conducting counterdrug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. These operations are in partnership with other nations through bilateral agreements to conduct interdictions in foreign and international waters.
The Alert, commissioned in 1969, is one of 14 remaining 210-foot Reliance-class medium endurance cutters built for the Coast Guard. It’s crew routinely operated from the Straits of Juan de Fuca down to waters off South America.
