WILMINGTON — After a two-month patrol, the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence is returning home to the Port City with a massive haul of illegal drugs.
For the past 65 days, the Diligence took part in a Joint Interagency Task Force operation, focusing on illegal immigration and drug smuggling in the Caribbean.
During the tour, the Diligence stopped two separate smuggling ships and seized about $2.2 million dollars in marijuana – about 2,500 pounds. The crew also intercepted at least 375 kilograms of cocaine. In the past, the Coast Guard has valued cocaine at around $24,000 per kilogram, making this bust worth as much as $9 million.
The cutter crew was responsible for conducting numerous flight operations, as well as performing difficult in-flight refueling of helicopters for various agencies. These operations required helicopters to be refueled while hovering over the Diligence, according to a Coast Guard release.
