2016: Record drug haul for CG

Last year was a record-breaking haul for the Coast Guard’s fight against drug trafficking. By Oct. 31, the CG had seized more than 416,600 pounds of cocaine worth about $5.6 billion, the largest one-year amount in service history – accumulated in more than 260 interdictions in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific Ocean. A total of 585 suspected drug smugglers were apprehended - 465 were transferred to the U.S. for prosecution. The maritime flow of cocaine has been rising over the last several years - from 577 tons in 2013 to 2,834 tons in 2016. The CG’s overworked fleet is a major area of concern for the service. Some of its Medium Endurance Cutters were built in the 1960s and need replacing. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul F. Zukunft says they have “80 percent awareness” of all illegal operations, but “can only act on about 20 percent” because of resource constraints. “We’re giving 60 percent of what we know, literally, a free pass.” The CG’s Offshore Patrol Cutter program has become the service’s No. 1 priority. (Source: National Interest 02/25/17) Gulf Coast Note: Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City was awarded a contract on Sept. 15, 2016, to build the first 9 to 11 in class of Offshore Patrol Cutters.