The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG-91) sezied 120 kilograms of suspected cocaine after interdicting a vessel while on routine patrol 200 nautical miles southwest of Jamaica late last month, the Navy announced in a statement.
A helicopter assigned to Helicopter Marine Squadrom (HSM) 75 spotted the vessel July 24 and the destroyer arrived soon after in coordination with the Colombian navy.
The crew detained six suspected drug smugglers, who are now in Colombian custody. The estimated wholesale value of the suspected cocaine is more than $4.5 million.
The bust was part of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations that began April 1. Pinckney has been part of missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific on behalf of SOUTHCOM and the Joint Interagency Task Force South.
“U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region,” the Navy said in the statement.
MAIN PHOTO: CARIBBEAN SEA (July 22, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team conducts enhanced counter narcotics operations. The Pinckney and embarked LEDET recovered an estimated 120 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Pinckney is deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibly to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erick A. Parsons/Released)
