The nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), has completed another successful drug interdiction, seizing more than 1.5 tons of cocaine in the Caribbean.
While conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of focus, USS Freedom intercepted a suspected drug vessel and launched an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter. The “go-fast” vessel attempted to elude the MH-60S, but USS Freedom closed on the vessel and intercepted it, forcing the suspects to stop. A response team then apprehended the suspects and illegal cargo.
- A boarding team of Sailors and Coast Guardsmen from the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) transport bales of cocaine seized from a go-fast small boat in the southern Caribbean Sea.
- Bales of cocaine are stacked in the airborne mission zone of the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) after they were seized from a go-fast small boat. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy.
A search of the vessel yielded 51 bales of cocaine weighing 1,506 kilos (3,315 pounds), all seized as evidence in preparation for possible criminal prosecution. The five suspects were taken into custody aboard USS Freedom.
“The value of the speed of the ship has been validated,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Servello, a Navy spokesman in an article published by the Florida Times Union. “The deployment is going very well.”
This is the second drug interdiction for USS Freedom. On February 22, it achieved its first drug seizure in the Western Caribbean when it disrupted a high-speed “go-fast” vessel and recovered more than a quarter of a ton of cocaine.
These successful operations come just a few weeks after USS Freedom (LCS 1) departed from Naval Station Mayport, FL, for its maiden deployment to the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Pacific Command areas of responsibility, approximately two years ahead of schedule.
USS Freedom (LCS 1) is the first of 55 the Navy plans for a new class of ships designed to operate in coastal waters. Her capabilities have been demonstrated since the ship was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2008. She has sailed more than 12,000 nm, successfully completed sea trials, helicopter landings and certification, ship handling/refueling, weapons firings and certifications, combat system and exterior/interior communications, small boat launch and recovery and Surface Warfare mission-package testing.
