WHO: Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area commander, U.S. Coast Guard; Capt. Robert Mohr, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Waesche; U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, Southern District of California; Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki, San Diego Field Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Hathaway, San Diego Field Division, Drug Enforcement Administration.
WHAT: The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche is scheduled to offload approximately 18,219 pounds of cocaine, worth more than $239 million, seized from the drug transit zones of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, 1150 Terminal St., San Diego, CA 92101
Editor's Note: Media interested in attending should arrive no later than 2 p.m., and bring a government-issued photo ID, press credentials, proof of vehicle registration and insurance. Media will be escorted to the event location following a security screening.
SAN DIEGO — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) is scheduled to offload 18,219 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of more than $239 million, on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in San Diego.
The six interdictions took place in November during operations conducted by the crews of the Coast Guard Cutters Waesche, homeported in Alameda, California; and Active, homeported in Port Angeles, Washington.
The Waesche's crew was responsible for four interdictions seizing 14,350 pounds of cocaine, and the Active’s crew was responsible for two interdictions seizing 3,869 pounds of cocaine.
Multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, collaborate 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 counternarcotic 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 criminal prosecutions.