The crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Thetis (WMEC 910) returned home to Key West, Fla., last Friday, following a 55-day patrol in the western Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Patrolling in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South, Thetis worked alongside other Coast Guard cutters and U.S. partners to conduct counterdrug operations and fight transnational criminal organizations with the assistance of an embarked aviation detachment from the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron.
While underway, Thetis seized approximately $70 million worth of illegal narcotics over the course of two counterdrug operations. During one case, Thetis crewmembers apprehended three suspected drug traffickers. In another case, collaboration with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft led to the recovery of approximately 5,325 lbs. of illegal narcotics by the Thetis’ pursuit team.
