Latest news with #TysonScofield
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
$275 Million of Cocaine Seized in Pacific Ocean (Video)
Richard Pryor just rolled over in his grave. The United States Coast Guard offloaded over 37,000 pounds, amounting to an estimated $275 million, of cocaine from the Pacific Ocean in San Diego on Thursday. The crew had been stationed in the eastern Pacific since December, intercepting 'significant narcotics trafficking' operations. Check out the haul being offloaded below. 'The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions,' said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, in a press release. 'Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.'But the successful drug roundup didn't come without its casualties. One crewmember of the Waesche was unaccounted for during the operation. He was identified as 23-year-old Bryan K. Lee. 'Our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Seaman Lee,' said Cmdr. David Stern, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Eleven, in a press release. 'Considering all pertinent factors and available information, we made the difficult decision to suspend the search. This case has been extraordinarily challenging, and the decision to suspend the search pending new information is not an easy choice. We're thankful for the support from our units and partners who searched a significant region of the Pacific Ocean.' Still, that's a whole lotta devil's dandruff.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
More than $275M worth of cocaine offloaded by US Coast Guard in San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche crew offloaded over 37,000 pounds of cocaine in San Diego on Thursday, with an estimated street value exceeding $275 million, military officials noted in a press release. The massive haul follows a series of successful drug interdictions by the Cutter Waesche off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America. The cocaine, seized between December 2024 and February 2025, was intercepted during 11 separate operations targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels. Suspected hand grenade unearthed by construction workers at San Diego International Airport According to Coast Guard officials, the interdictions were part of the branch's ongoing efforts to combat the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States. 'The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions,' said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Cutter Waesche. 'Their dedication, strength of character and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.' The successful interdictions were the result of coordinated efforts involving multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security. The U.S. Coast Guard also worked closely with the Navy, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and international partners in the fight against transnational organized crime. The fight against drug cartels in the region is essential, as the drugs seized are often linked to the production and trafficking of dangerous substances like fentanyl, which has contributed to a public health crisis in the U.S. The Cutter Waesche, homeported in Alameda, California, is one of the U.S. Coast Guard's four 'legend-class national security cutters.' The vessel is designed to operate in demanding open ocean environments, making it an integral part of efforts to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs in the Southern Pacific. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
14-02-2025
- CBS News
U.S. Coast Guard ship offloads $275 million of cocaine days after crew member lost at sea
A U.S. Coast Guard ship that lost a crew member while operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean offloaded over 37,000 pounds of cocaine on Thursday, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche had been stationed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from December through February to intercept suspected drug smuggling vessels off the coasts of Mexico, Central America and South America. "Significant narcotics trafficking" occurs in the area, the Coast Guard said. The ship made 11 such interceptions during the two months it was stationed, resulting in the massive drug haul. The Coast Guard said in a news release that the cocaine had an estimated value of more than $275 million. "The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions," said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, in a news release announcing the haul. "Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime." While operating, a crew member identified by the Coast Guard as Seaman Bryan K. Lee was reported as unaccounted for on Tuesday, Feb. 4, the week before the ship arrived in San Diego. The Waesche crew and other responding assets, including multiple Air Force aircraft, two Mexican navy vessels and an unmanned drone, searched more than 19,000 square nautical miles for a combined nearly 190 hours before the the search was suspended on Saturday, Feb. 8. The cutter had been conducting a "routine counter-drug patrol" about 300 nautical miles south of Mexico when Lee was reported missing, the Coast Guard said in a news release. It deviated from the patrol to search for Lee. The counter-drug patrols are part of a multiagency effort to combat organized crime and drug trafficking, the Coast Guard said. Stopping the movement of drugs through the Eastern Pacific Ocean "requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring and interdictions to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys' Offices in districts across the nation," the Coast Guard said.
