U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro returned to its Alameda, Calif. homeport on June 3 following a four-month patrol off the coasts of Central and South America in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
During the multi-mission deployment, the Munro’s crew conducted counter-narcotic and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing patrols.
The 150-member crew interdicted seven panga-style vessels, three low-profile vessels and one fishing vessel suspected of trafficking narcotics.
The interdictions resulted in the seizure of nearly 35,000 pounds of cocaine, more than 3,000 pounds of marijuana and more than 140 pounds of the ketamine-based hallucinogenic party drug “tuci,” according to the Coast Guard.
Combined, the seized narcotics are worth an estimated $500 million in wholesale value and $2 billion in street value, the Guard said. The Munro conducted a bulk offload of the narcotics in San Diego, where they were turned over to federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration for destruction.
Munro‘s crew conducted 200 flight evolutions with an embarked helicopter and aircrew from the Florida-based Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON). The HITRON crew was capable of providing airborne use of force in maritime drug interdiction efforts; the Munro utilized the crew for warning shots toward eight non-compliant suspect vessels and disabling fire used on four non-compliant vessels, stopping them by shooting out their engines and allowing surface assets to gain control.
Following the counter-narcotics patrol, Munro transited further south to conduct IUU fisheries interdictions in international waters off the coast of Peru and Ecuador as part of Operation Southern Shield.
Under the authority of South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization conservation management measures, the Munro conducted 16 high-seas boardings and inspections of a multi-national distant water fishing fleet of more than 300 fishing and trans-shipment vessels. The mission resulted in nine violations reported to organization member countries.
As part of Operation Southern Shield, Munro hosted ship observers from the Peruvian Coast Guard, the National Aeronaval Service of Panama. and the Ecuadorian Navy, emphasizing the multi-national effort to combat IUU fishing. Working alongside the Ecuadorian Navy, Munro conducted four inspections aboard Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessels on the high seas, carrying out the first enactment of the recently signed United States-Ecuador Bilateral Agreement.
“Our crew is dedicated and working hard to show the commitment of the U.S. Coast Guard in combating both narcotics and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing on the high seas,” the Munro’s former commanding officer, Capt. Rula Deisher, said.
Near the end of the patrol, Munro hosted a change of command ceremony in San Diego, where Capt. James O’Mara IV relieved Deisher as commanding officer.
“I am thankful to family and friends who supported Munro throughout the four-month deployment,” said O’Mara, who assumed command on May 30. “Munro showcased all the capabilities and versatility of this platform while making tangible impacts to several national security objectives. I am honored to join this team.”
The Munro is one of four national security cutters homeported at Coast Guard Base Alameda. The national security cutters feature advanced command, control, communications, computer, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, along with aviation support facilities, stern cutter boat launch and long-endurance station keeping.
The 418-foot cutters can remain at sea for 60 to 90 days and can serve as operational-level headquarters for complex law enforcement, defense and national security missions involving the Coast Guard and partner agencies