The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) returned to Honolulu following a 79-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where they interdicted four suspected drug-smuggling vessels and apprehended 19 suspected traffickers. The patrol, part of the Coast Guard’s Operation Pacific Viper, resulted in the seizure of more than 21,000 lbs. of cocaine valued at approximately $156.4 million.
Operating in international waters off the coasts of Mexico and Central America, Midgett’s crew worked under the tasking of Joint Interagency Task Force–South (JIATF-S), a Coast Guard press release said. The drugs were offloaded in San Diego on Sept. 25 by the cutter’s crew and multiagency partners. The operation supported the Coast Guard’s broader counter-drug and maritime security mission in the Southwest District area of responsibility.
Throughout the deployment, the Coast Guard said Midgett’s crew collaborated with units including Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), and contractors operating V-BAT unmanned aerial systems. The patrol marked a notable milestone for HITRON, which achieved its 1,000th interdiction of a suspected drug-smuggling vessel during the mission.
The Coast Guard said detecting and interdicting narcotics on the high seas requires extensive interagency and international coordination. JIATF-S, based in Key West, Fla., leads detection and monitoring efforts for aerial and maritime drug transit, while Coast Guard assets conduct the law enforcement phase of operations under the authority of the service’s Pacific Area Command in Alameda, Calif.
Commissioned in 2019, Midgett is the eighth Legend-class national security cutter and one of two homeported in Honolulu. The 418’ cutter’s primary missions include counter-drug operations, defense readiness, and support of joint operations aimed at protecting U.S. borders and maritime approaches.
