PORTSMOUTH, VA. – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa is scheduled to return to Portsmouth 9 a.m. Friday following a busy, 61-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea.
During the patrol, the Tampa interdicted an unseaworthy vessel north of Haiti with 45 illegal migrants aboard. All were safely embarked on the cutter and repatriated to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
The Tampa also served as a holding platform for 100 Cuban migrants, providing food, water, shelter and necessary medical attention. All migrants were returned to Cuba.
Also, the Tampa assisted a disabled vessel taking on water in the Yucatan Channel. A Rescue and Assistance team from the cutter refueled and repaired the vessel and sent it on its way.
During the Tampa’s last port call in Nassau, Bahamas, the crew participated in a community relations project at the Bahamas National Council for Disabilities. Crewmembers spent all day clearing brush, removing mold from ceilings and soiled carpeting, and painting rooms and hallways.
The Tampa is one of six 270-foot medium endurance cutters homeported in Portsmouth.
