HMCS Nanaimo aids in drug seizure

HMCS Nanaimo patrols the Caribbean Sea during Operation Caribbe. Photo by MARPAC Imaging Services

DND ~

HMCS Nanaimo helped the United States Coast Guard (USCG) seize 478 kilorgrams of cocaine on Oct. 31. These drugs were seized from a suspect vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

After stopping the vessel, Nanaimo launched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat carrying a USCG law enforcement detachment (LEDET) to board the vessel. The LEDET then apprehended three suspected smugglers.

The cocaine was packaged in small amounts and stored throughout the vessel. It was later transferred to a USCG cutter.

The next day the suspected smugglers were transported to a USCG cutter on patrol in the region. Nanaimo then resumed operations.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted Operation Caribbe missions since November 2006, and remains committed to working with Western Hemisphere and European partners in successfully disrupting illicit trafficking operations in the region.

To date, the CAF has directly contributed to the seizure and disruption of over 69 metric tonnes of illicit drugs over the 11 years it has been involved in this operation.