CAPE MAY, N.J. – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable, homeported in Cape May, N.J., is scheduled to return home after a 52-day Caribbean deployment.
The crew worked closely with the Joint Interagency Task Force – South and a host of international partners on counter-drug operations, which resulted in the interdiction of six illegal contraband shipments.
While on patrol, the Dependable’s lookout spotted the vessel Green Jungle, a 25-foot open hulled fishing boat traveling at high speed. Following a 45-minute pursuit at speeds exceeding 30 knots, the Green Jungle stopped and was boarded by Dependable’s crewmemebers and a St. Lucian Marine Police officer. The boat and approximately 300 pounds of marijuana were seized. The narcotics, vessel and three suspected smugglers were handed over to the St. Lucian authorities for prosecution.
The Dependable’s crew worked closely with international partners such as the British Royal Navy, the Caribbean regional security squadron and the maritime agencies of St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Vincent. This included hosting two ship riders, one from the Dominica Coast Guard and another from the St. Lucia Marine Police.
The patrol also included the disruption of five other contraband shipments by the Dependable crew and international partners. These interdictions resulted in the seizure of four transport vessels and the arrest of 10 suspected smugglers.
During the crew’s port call in Castries, St. Lucia, 20 members of the crew volunteered to paint the local Red Cross building as part of a humanitarian aid project. The painting saved the Red Cross more than $4000, which in turn will be reinvested in other community projects.
Coast Guard Cutter Dependable is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter with 75 crewmembers based out of Cape May, N.J.
