PORTSMOUTH Va. (WAVY) – After a 76-day tour in the Eastern Pacific, the Coast Guard Cutter Northland returned to its homeport of Portsmouth on Sunday.
The mission was in support of the Eleventh Coast Guard District.
The Northland is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter that routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, alien migrant interdiction, fisheries, search and rescue, and homeland security missions.
During this latest deployment, the ship patrolled the waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean searching for vessels suspected of smuggling illegal drugs across international borders.
While patrolling, the Northland intercepted two vessels suspected of trafficking illegal narcotics, resulting in the seizure of 6,223 pounds of suspected cocaine and 761 pounds of suspected marijuana.
The total seizure was estimated to have a street value of $83 million. Six suspects were detained after the seizure.
On June 30, the seized narcotics were unloaded at the Coast Guard Base Miami.
During its tour, the Northland also conducted operations with Ecuadorian Naval and Coast Guard personnel in San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador.
This was the first time in the Northland’s 38-year history that the ship visited the Galapagos. It is also only the second Coast Guard ship to anchor at the Islands in over a decade.
While traveling through the Panama Canal, the Northland rescued six stranded Cuban nationals from a deserted island in the Bahamas.
Northland’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Patricia M. Bennett, stated, “As my last patrol in command of this ship, I am extremely proud of the adaptability, ingenuity, and determination demonstrated by this remarkable crew on a daily basis.”