PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of the USCGC Tampa (WMEC 902) is scheduled to return to their home port in Portsmouth, Wednesday, following an 88-day patrol in the Florida Straits and Caribbean Sea.
WHO: Cmdr. Jeffrey Holm, Tampa’s commanding officer, and crew members
WHAT: Tampa and crew are returning home following an 88-day multi-mission patrol
WHERE: Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, 4000 Coast Guard Blvd., Portsmouth, Virginia. 23703
WHEN: 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Editor's Note: Media are asked to RSVP no later than 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with the Atlantic Area Public Affairs at 757-202-3348 or by emailing uscglantarea@gmail.com. Interested media are requested to arrive no later than 2:30 p.m. Wednesday with a valid driver's license and proof of insurance in order to be processed through security.
Tampa’s crew contributed to the interdiction, care and repatriation of 428 migrants from Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Tampa, and its embarked MH-65E Dolphin helicopter crew, collaborated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect and intercept two suspected drug smuggling vessels, leading to the arrest of six suspects, possession of the vessels and a seizure of $100,000.
While moored in Cartagena, Colombia, Tampa’s crew hosted a United States congressional delegation, working with Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) to present information regarding the various methods transnational criminal organizations use to traffic drugs from South America to the United States, and how Tampa and other interagency assets achieve at-sea interdictions. Tampa also leveraged the time in Colombia to enhance partnerships with the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Coast Guard, boosting maritime security within the Americas.
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