From the US Coast Guard District 11, November 19, 2024

SAN DIEGO — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) unloaded more than 29,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $335.8 million in San Diego on Tuesday.

The landing is the result of eleven separate suspected interdictions or incidents of drug smuggling vessels off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America in September and October.

“I would put this crew on any mission, anywhere, anytime,” said Capt. James O’Mara, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Munro. “They executed everything that was asked of them with incredible teamwork and perseverance and we are proud of the results. Hats off to all our international and interagency partners – we absolutely cannot do this mission without them. To our families and loved ones back home: your support keeps us going. It takes everyone’s heads in the game to make these interdictions happen, and we are grateful that you support us on the home front as we patrol the high seas and do our part to prevent dangerous narcotics from hitting cities around the globe.”

Several US agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security, are collaborating 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, all play a role in counternarcotics operations. The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection and monitoring to interdictions and prosecutions.

“Our partnerships and our collective capabilities are vital to the security and prosperity of the hemisphere,” said Rear Admiral Joseph Buzzella, commander of Coast Guard District 11. “The Eastern Pacific is a challenging environment – ​​both operationally and logistical view. The transit zone is a vast area of ​​ocean to cover, far from home. Despite the challenges, the success of Munro’s crew highlights the importance of what we do on the high seas.”

The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring and interdiction to prosecution by international partners and U.S. District Attorneys’ offices across the country. The law enforcement phase of anti-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is conducted under the authority of Coast Guard District Eleven, headquartered in Alameda, California. Interdictions, including actual boardings, are manned and conducted by members of the US Coast Guard.

These prohibitions relate to designated Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found athttps://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Munro is the sixth Legend-class national security cutter and is homeported in Alameda, California. The crew/vessels can operate in the most demanding open ocean environments, including the dangerous fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean and the vast approaches of the South Pacific Ocean, where significant narcotics traffic takes place.

Crew members of the US Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) work on the cutter’s flight deck while unloading contraband in San Diego, Nov. 19, 2024. Munro crew members interdicted narcotics in the Eastern Pacific during anti-narcotics patrols, seizing 29,000 pounds pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $335.8 million. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard Uranga)

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