Coast Guard Crew From St. Pete Returns Home For Holidays

ST. PETERSBURG, FL. - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returned home Monday to St. Petersburg following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean. The crew of the Resolute traveled more than 5,000 patrol miles enforcing counter-narcotics laws and combating organized crime networks.

During the patrol, the crew seized about 700 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $20 million from a Colombian flagged bulk freighter. The freighter, bound for Panama, was stopped in Panamanian territorial seas under the bilateral agreement. The Resolute's crew turned over custody of the vessel, six suspected smugglers, and bulk contraband to Panamanian authorities.

The Resolute's patrol was in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South, as a part of Operation Martillo. Eighteen countries partner in this operation to disrupt illicit trafficking routes off the coast of Central and South America.

The Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, with a its home port in St. Petersburg and has a crew of 77. Medium endurance cutters, like the Resolute, are slated for replacement by a new class of cutter - the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). With the ability to operate more than 50 miles from land, the OPC will be a multi-mission asset, providing surface and air pursuit capabilities.

Caption: A crew member aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute is greeted Monday, Dec. 18, at their home port in St. Petersburg following a five-week patrol in the Caribbean.

(U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael De Nyse)