Eastern Pacific Ocean News

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA, part of Australia's Austal Group, hosted a christening ceremony for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship at the company’s Gulf Coast shipyard today. Ship sponsor Lolita Zinke performed the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of the Santa Barbara, the 16th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the third U.S. Navy ship to be named after the California coast city.Zinke, wife of former U.S. Congressman and former U.S.

Barry Dreyfus Jr., CEO of United States Marine Inc. (USMI), doesn’t keep the recipe to his company’s success a secret. In fact, it’s displayed plainly for all to see on the homepage of USMI’s website: family, integrity and quality. These have been cornerstones of the 36-year-old firm, today regarded as one of the nation’s premier military small craft builders.Headquartered in Gulfport, Miss., with a maintenance/repair facility in Chesapeake, Va., USMI is a fully integrated manufacturer of military, patrol and special warfare boats available in lengths from 21 feet to 90 feet.

There is a 75% chance of near- or below-normal tropical cyclone activity during the Central Pacific hurricane season this year, according to NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, divisions of the National Weather Service.The outlook also indicates a 25% chance of an above-normal season.For the season as a whole, two to six tropical cyclones are predicted for the Central Pacific hurricane region. This number includes tropical depressions, named storms and hurricanes.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast (WMEC-632) is scheduled to offload more than 26,000 pounds of seized cocaine in San Diego Friday.The cocaine, worth an estimated $350 million, was seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The contraband represents six suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions and the recovery of floating cocaine bales by the crews of two Coast Guard cutters off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America between late June and mid-July.Six of the interdictions were carried out by the Steadfast’s crew…

The U.S. Coast Guard has released dramatic video of the moment it captured a drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific.U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL-755) returned to San Diego from its maiden drug interdiction mission Thursday with a record 39,000 pounds of cocaine seized from smugglers in the Pacific Ocean.The cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana were seized during 14 drug interdiction and disruptions off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America during the past three months. The drugs have a combined street value of $569 million, Coast Guard officials said. Not all of the interactions at sea resulted in seizing drugs…

The Governments of Peru and the United States signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in maritime search and rescue (SAR) operations.Peruvian Foreign Minister Néstor Popolizio Bardales and U.S. Ambassador to Peru Krishna R. Urs signed the Agreement to strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime and aeronautical SAR and to enhance effectiveness in assisting persons in distress.The Agreement allows enhanced, formal cooperation between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Peruvian General Directorate of Captaincies and Coastguards and Peruvian Air Force during maritime distress cases in the eastern Pacific Ocean.This is the first binding SAR Agreement between the United States and a South American country.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to Portsmouth Monday following a successful 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.During their patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, Tampa’s crew successfully interdicted approximately 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of $240 million.The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC-911) offloaded approximately 34,780 pounds of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $466 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and represent 21 separate, suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions by the U.S. Coast Guard:The cutter Forward was responsible for eight cases seizing an estimated 14…

Oregon Coast Guard cutter returns home following counter-drug patrol, $83 million worth of cocaine seizedThe crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alert returned home following a 60-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, seizing more than $83 million worth of cocaine during the deployment.The crew interdicted two suspected drug smuggling vessels, yielding more than 5,700 pounds of seized cocaine while patrolling international waters in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South.

The U.S. Navy has called off its search for a sailor missing from USS Lake Erie (CG 70) after four days scouring the eastern Pacific Ocean.U.S. Navy and Coast Guard assets suspended search and rescue operations at sunset, approximately 7:30 p.m. local time, Thursday, after an extensive search was unable to locate the sailor who was first reported missing Sunday.The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser was deployed on routine training operations with John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCS CSG) when it initiated man overboard procedures Sunday, at approximately 7 a.m.

The U.S Navy is searching for a sailor who is believed to have fallen overboard from USS Lake Erie (CG 70) in the eastern Pacific Ocean.The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser began man overboard procedures after the sailor failed to report for duty at approximately 7 a.m. local time, August 19.The ship's crew has completed multiple extensive searches of the ship, and all attempts to locate the sailor on board have been unsuccessful, the Navy said.USS Lake Erie, which is currently operating with the John C.

The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast (WMEC-623) returned home Friday to Astoria after a 60-day counternarcotic patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.While patrolling international waters off the coast of Mexico and Central America, Steadfast’s law enforcement boarding teams intercepted and stopped eight separate vessels suspected of smuggling illicit drugs. The eight boardings resulted in the discovery and seizure of approximately 13,123 pounds of cocaine worth…

The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast (WMEC-623) returned home Friday to Astoria after a 60-day counternarcotic patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. While patrolling international waters off the coast of Mexico and Central America, Steadfast’s law enforcement boarding teams intercepted and stopped eight separate vessels suspected of smuggling illicit drugs. The eight boardings resulted in the discovery and seizure of approximately 13,123 pounds of cocaine worth more than $200 million wholesale. The 210-foot cutter deployed to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force South with the primary mission of detecting and interdicting illegal drug traffickers.

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returned to homeport from a 94-day patrol in drug trafficking zones of the Eastern Pacific, after seizing approximately 17,203 pounds of cocaine from suspected smugglers, April 8, 2016. The drugs were seized from nine suspected drug smuggling vessels. The contraband is valued at more than $260 million. Harriet Lane’s crew worked in conjunction with detachments from the Coast Guard’s Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team (PACTACLET) from San Diego…

The Coast Guard offloaded approximately 36,000 pounds of cocaine Tuesday, which was seized during a counter-drug patrol in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The contraband offloaded by the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's (WMSL-750) crew represents 17 interdictions of suspected smuggling vessels off the coasts of Central and South America by five Coast Guard cutters between early February and early March. “This offload by the Bertholf represents the great work being conducted in the Eastern Pacific combating the transnational organized crime groups, behind the drug trade which spread instability, fear and harm to people, communities and entire nations,” said Rear Adm.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton is scheduled to offload approximately 7 tons of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $190 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America by multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters. The cutter Hamilton was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,931 kilograms of cocaine. The Coast Guard Cutter Northland was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 2,871 kilograms of cocaine.

The U.S. Coast Guard will offload more than 47,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $721 million Thursday at 9:30 a.m., which was seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by U.S. and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America. Senior U.S. and Canadian officials will be at the offload to discuss new tactics used by transnational organized crime groups and to highlight international cooperation in combating the threat posed by these dangerous groups. U.S.

A mini-submarine carrying $200 million worth of cocaine was intercepted by authorities in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Customs and Border Protection air crew from Corpus Christi was involved in the arrest of four people aboard a mini-submarine headed for the U.S. that authorities say was carrying 5.5 tons of cocaine worth nearly $200 million. The seizure occurred March 3 in the Pacific Ocean off the Central American coast. Customs officials had spotted the vessel from a plane. A video of theinterdiction is available here. “It was painted blue to make it difficult for our guys to track it from the sky, but we have a lot of training doing this,” said Customs spokeswoman Yolanda Choates.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf is scheduled to return home to Alameda, Calif., Sept. 5, 2013, at 1 p.m., following a 160-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft, and U.S. Southern Command Commander, Gen. John Kelly met at U.S. Southern Command Headquarters on Sept. 4, 2014 to discuss strategic objectives, mutual priorities and opportunities for collaboration in Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting centered on the synchronization of existing efforts in ensuring safety and security along U.S. and regional borders in addition to outlining new initiatives, including the U.S. Coast Guard Western Hemisphere strategy to be released in late September.

The U.S. Coast Guard based in Northern California seized a semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean last month - the largest bust of its kind in Coast Guard history. The Coast Guard Cutter Stratton intercepted the 40-foot "self-propelled semi-submersible" in the Pacific Ocean 200 miles south of Mexico on July 18 and arrested four alleged smugglers, officials said. The Guard seized 275 bales of cocaine. Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy says that the Alameda, California-based crew also apprehended four suspected smugglers. The drugs are valued at $181 million. The drugs were found on a semi-submersible vessel, which is mostly submerged, with just the cockpit and the exhaust pipe visible above water.

Crewmembers of Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Florida, offloaded 254 kilograms of cocaine and 3,662 pounds of marijuana interdicted in the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation  Martillo worth an estimated wholesale value of $11.8 million, at Base Miami Beach, Friday. On Sept. 3, a maritime patrol aircraft reported a suspicious Panamanian flagged sailing vessel southeast of Nicaragua. Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered arrived on scene and attempted to contact the vessel. With no response to radio calls, and the vessel not slowing down, the Robert Yered launched its smallboat with a law enforcement team and subsequently boarded the vessel after receiving permission from the Panamanian government.

Hurricane Sandra weakened to a tropical storm on Friday and was expected to continue losing strength as it approached Mexico's Pacific coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Sandra, about 215 miles (346 km) southwest of the Pacific port of Mazatlan on Friday evening, was producing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (113 kph), the NHC said. "Sandra is expected to be near tropical storm strength when it moves near the coast of Mexico in the warning area on Saturday. After the center moves inland, Sandra should quickly dissipate," the Miami-based NHC said. Sandra had been the strongest hurricane recorded in the eastern Pacific Ocean this late in the year. Mexico called off a tropical storm watch for the southernmost portion of Baja California.