HMCS Brandon intercepts estimated 700 kg of cocaine

By Lookout on Nov 14, 2016 with Comments 0

Fourteen bales of cocaine weighing an estimated 700 kilograms rest on the sweep deck of HMCS Brandon after being jettisoned by a suspected smuggling vessel, a small fishing boat known as a panga, off the Pacific coast of Central America during Operation Caribbe on Nov. 5. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard

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HMCS Brandon, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), seized an estimated 700 kilograms of cocaine in international waters off the Pacific Coast of Central America on Nov. 5.

The cocaine, worth an estimated $28 million (USD), was recovered from the ocean after being jettisoned by suspected smugglers in a panga-style fishing vessel that had been spotted by a USCG HC-130J aircraft patrolling the region.

Brandon launched two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) with USCG law enforcement teams onboard to pursue the vessel and secure the 14 jettisoned bales.

“This latest seizure serves not only as a testament to the dedication and hard work by the crew of HMCS Brandon and the U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment, but to their ability to work in concert,” said Lieutenant-Commander Jolene Lisi, Brandon’s Commanding Officer. “Our efforts, both leading into this operation, and on the operation itself, have led to this interdiction, which ultimately means fewer drugs reaching our shores. I am incredibly proud of my team.”

Brandon’s RHIB was unable to apprehend the suspected panga vessel.

Since February 2016, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have seized or disrupted a total of approximately 3,630 kg of cocaine and 1,520 kg of marijuana.

Operation Caribbe is Canada’s participation in the multinational campaign against illicit trafficking by transnational organized crime in the Caribbean Sea and the East Pacific Ocean.

Joint Interagency Task Force South, a subordinate command of United States Southern Command, oversees the detection and monitoring of illicit traffickers and assists US and multinational law enforcement agencies with the interdiction of illicit traffickers.