Posted on 09/15/2006 11:13:07 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) recently scored her third successful take down of narcotics trafficking vessels in less than two weeks, and assisted in the take down of a fourth, interdicting an estimated 8.1 metric tons of cocaine during a counter-narco terrorism operations (CNT OPS) deployment for U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.
While on patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in early August, Stephen W. Groves took down a “go fast” loaded with an estimated 2.6 metric tons of cocaine and interdicted another “go fast” that was preparing to onload narcotics. “Go fast” vessels are small, multi-engined speedboats commonly used to transport illicit narcotics.
Less than two weeks later, the ship’s crew, along with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) (46), Det. 8, and embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 105 interdicted a third “go fast” vessel. Stephen W. Groves was able to close to within a few miles of the “go fast” before being detected and having to give chase. Stephen W. Groves pursued the “go fast” at high speed for the next hour and a half before catching her and detaining her four crew members.
“It is really rare to capture a fully-fuelled 'go-fast' in a flat-out chase,” said Lt. j.g. Scott McCann, LEDET 105 officer in charge. "It is estimated this bust prevented 3 metric tons of cocaine from making it to the United States."
A 26-hour, 750-mile pursuit a few days later resulted in the interdiction of an additional 2.5 metric tons of cocaine and the detention of 10 suspects.
“Only with the precise coordination of everyone involved was the capture of these go-fasts possible,” added Stephen W. Groves’ Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Jon Kreitz. “We could not have had these successes without the terrific support of several maritime patrol aircraft and personnel ashore. We’ve had a terrific couple of weeks interdicting over eight tons of cocaine.”
Stephen W. Groves began her six-month counter-drug operations deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command area of responsibility in early April. While deployed, Stephen W. Groves’ crew works with other assets from Joint Interagency Task Force South, the agency responsible for counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
Homeported in Mayport, Fla., Stephen W. Groves is a Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14 ship. During the ship’s deployment, the crew will be patrolling nearly 4 million square nautical miles of water in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
"This is what I joined the Navy for, for a chance to get out and do what we train for, and for a chance to really make a difference," Quartermaster 2nd Class (SW) Zachary Bullock said. "I know that’s what we’re doing."
For more information on Stephen W. Groves, go to www.groves.navy.mil.
For more information on U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, go to www.cusns.navy.mil.
For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cusns/.
Several hundred million, I would imagine.
Druggie Libertarians are deeply saddened
The Democrats just lost a huge campaign source.
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
These boats should be blown out of the water with their crew.
8.1 tons X 2000 lbs/ton X 16 oz./lb. X 28 gms/oz. X $80/gm =
$580,608,000.
But, street value would most likely be half of that.
I'm anxiously awaiting the reports of all the parts of the country where you can't buy cocaine now, due to this bust...
And waiting...
And waiting...
8.1 tons confiscated as 100 tons comes in undetected. End the war on drugs. Legalize it. Regulate it. Take away the allure of it. It will bring the price down and then you'll end the crime associated with cartels and hit a very imporants funding source for Terrorists as they won't be able to profit from it as much as they are now. But, we never learn from what we experienced from Prohibition.
I guess this will cause a slight bump up in the cost of cocaine and crack, more profits for the guys who didn't have their shipments seized, and a slight uptick in theft crimes from addicts to pay for their addictions.
It will bring the price down huh? Kinda like Cigarettes being legal so the price has come down, right?
Actually, it will cause some mid-level guys to die for losing this much money. When you bust a guy with few grand of dope, chances are good that he owes someone that money.
and enraged
The two would be quite different as the price of cigs can be blamed on unique circumstances all thanks to opportunistic lawyers and politicians. Could prices go up? Possibly, but using simple economics and history of prices of things that are illegal vs legal, I'd place my bet that prices would come down. The more important goals is to stop the crime associated with drugs, dismantle the murderous cartels, and bring some common sense into the war on drugs which hasn't worked and never will. It's funny how conservatives are all for reforming welfare and other bloated government programs that were failures and hurt people yet they won't admit the war on drugs is a failure.
Just think if the borders were physically sealed off where vehicles can easily cross uninspected?
Oooops! Can't do that. Wouldn't be bonuses in the pockets of some of our more illustrious business and government moguls.
Let's not forget that while USS Steven W. Groves is tasked with stopping a very small % of the Peruvian marching powder that makes it into the US, the Iranians are building up their forces in the Persian Gulf, the Chinese are building a blue-water navy, and tinpot dictators like Chavez and Kim threaten their neighbors and world peace in general.
The Groves would be much better put to use defending Americans against their foreign enemies instead of wasting its time chasing vice peddlers.
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