DATE: October 4, 2009 2:09:24 PM EDT

US COAST GUARD
News Release

Date:
Oct. 4, 2009 

Contact:
Petty Officer Mariana O'Leary
(305) 965-4672
**Media Availability** St. Pete-based Venturous crew nabs 2,500 pounds of marijuana, returns home

Media note: Media interested in attending the event are requested to arrive at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg’s South Moorings, 1301 Beach Drive SE, St. Petersburg, Fla., 33701, no later than 4:45 p.m today.  Interviews with crewmembers will be available.  Please contact Petty Officer Mariana O’Leary for additional information.

Click here for video of the marijuana offload.

 Drug offload

Coast Guard Cutter Venturous crewmembers interdict a boat loaded with 2,500 pounds of marijuana Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. (Coast Guard photo)

Marijuana offload.

Coast Guard Cutter Venturous crewmembers prepare to transfer 2,500 pounds of marijuana to the Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal)

Marijuana offload.

Coast Guard Cutter Venturous crewmembers transfer 2,500 pounds of marijuana to the Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal)

Drug offload.

Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin crewmembers offload approximately $1.6 million of marijuana at Coast Guard Base Support Unit Miami Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal)

Marijuana offload.

Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin crewmembers offload approximately $1.6 million of marijuana at Coast Guard Base Support Unit Miami Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Nick Ameen)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Venturous is scheduled to return home today at 5:00 p.m., after a successful patrol in the Caribbean Sea included the inderdiction of 107 bales of marijuana.

During the 54-day patrol, Venturous crewmembers worked closely with numerous Coast Guard cutters and the Dominican Republic Navy to conduct counter-narcotic and migrant-interdiction operations in the Caribbean Sea.

On Thursday, Venturous crewmembers interdicted a vessel in the Caribbean Sea with four people and 107 bales of marijuana aboard.  The marijuana, with an estimated street value of $1.6 million, was interdicted after the Venturous deployed its smallboat crew to pursue the vessel. The Coast Guard stopped the vessel using warning shots and then disabling fire directed at the vessel's engines after the people aboard the vessel ignored orders to heave to.

The marijuana and the vessel were seized by the Venturous crew and offloaded to authorities in Miami Saturday.

Venturous crewmembers also assisted the Haitian Coast Guard when a grossly overloaded vessel with 142 Haitian migrants was spotted off the coast of Haiti.  Venturous crewmembers escorted the vessel until it was met by the Haitian Coast Guard and was safely returned to port.

“It was my first patrol onboard Venturous and I am very proud of the crew and their ability to work together to master a multitude of missions,” said Cmdr. Ted St. Pierre, the Venturous commanding officer.  “Additionally, it was exciting to work with the Dominican Republic Navy and our partner agencies in our efforts to curtail drug trafficking.”

Venturous is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla. and has a crew of 85 officers and enlisted personnel.

The U.S. Coast Guard, working closely with its partner law-enforcement agencies, seized more than 276,203 pounds of cocaine and 63,184 pounds of marijuana in 2009.

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