Coast Guard recovers 11 bales of adrift cocaine
Ten of 11 bales of interdicted cocaine in Puerto Rico (Coast Guard Photo)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutters Paul Clark (WPC-1106) and Joseph Tezanos (WPC-1118) crews recovered a total of 11 bales of cocaine approximately 10 miles southwest of Desecheo Island, Friday.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located a debris field approximately 10 miles southwest of Desecho Island....
Smuggler in historic Coast Guard drug bust off Oregon coast sentenced to prison
PORTLAND, Ore. – The smuggler apprehended in a historic Coast Guard drug seizure off the Oregon coast in 2019 was sentenced to prison Thursday.
John Philip Stirling, 66, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA).
On April 9, 2019,...
Unlawful discharge of bilge waste leads to $1.75 million fine
HONOLULU — Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE LTD. (Bernhard), a vessel operating company, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tank vessel Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.
U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson of the District of Hawaii...
Christopher Hasson sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison
WASHINGTON – Christopher P. Hasson was sentenced Friday by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to 160 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on four federal charges related to unlawful possession of weapons and controlled substances.
The FBI, supported by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, began investigating Hasson in the fall of...
Coast Guard seeks information after laser strike hits Port Angeles aircrew
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — The Coast Guard is seeking information from the public to help locate the person or persons who pointed a red laser light at a Coast Guard helicopter Friday at 10:23 p.m. as the crew was flying a mission northwest of Bremerton.
The Port Angeles flight crew aboard the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter safely returned home after being indirectly illuminated for about one second and were...
Three Men Sentenced To Federal Prison For Smuggling Cocaine
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced three Colombian nationals to federal prison terms for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Carlos Chavez-Aguirre (35), Yesid Caicedo Asprilla (50), and David Hurtado Vallecilla (45) were sentenced...
Coast Guard arrests illegal charter operator in Miami
MIAMI — The Coast Guard terminated the voyage of the 45-foot pleasure craft, Breaking the Habit, with 12 passengers aboard Saturday near American Airlines Arena.
Watchstanders determined that the vessel was operating illegally and in violation of a previous Captain of the Port order. This is the second time within a month the vessel was discovered operating as an illegal charter. A Coast Guard Station...
Coast Guard seeks tips for threatening radio broadcast
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Coast Guard is seeking information regarding a person making threats and hoax calls on marine band radio off the gulf coast of Florida.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center received the latest threat on Aug. 13, 2019 via VHF channel 22A.
In this call, the male caller makes threats against the Coast Guard personnel, aircrafts and vessels. The broadcast sounds...
Coast Guard convenes highest-level marine casualty investigation into loss of Conception
WASHINGTON – The Coast Guard assistant commandant for prevention policy, Rear Adm. Richard Timme, announced Wednesday that he has convened a formal Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) to investigate the loss of the small passenger vessel Conception.
The Conception caught fire and sank in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2019, just off Santa Cruz Island in California. Only five of the 39 people...
