PORT ANGELES — The Coast Guard Cutter “Active” and crew returned to their Port Angeles homeport Friday. They finished a 65-day patrol in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America.
During the patrol, the Active’s crew rendezvoused with other cutters for joint operations. Active’s crew also partnered with maritime patrol aircrews from Joint Interagency Task Force-South who aid in the detection of ships suspected of drug smuggling.
Crewmembers aboard Active transited more than 10,000 nautical miles from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the southern hemisphere during the patrol. The crew sighted an abundance of marine wildlife throughout the patrol, and rescued sea turtles trapped in fishing gear.
The “Active” and other Coast Guard cutters frequently patrol this 42-million square mile region to interdict and disrupt drug shipments.