The United States Coast Guard cutter Resolute returned to its homeport of St. Petersburg, Florida, in July 2025 laden with narcotics seized in interdictions over a two-month deployment in the eastern Pacific. The ship’s success in disrupting drug shipments originating in Ecuador was made more impressive by the Coast Guard’s agility in replacing a quick-response vessel lost during an interdiction without compromising the effectiveness of the mission.
The Resolute’s crew offloaded nearly 5,715 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $93.2 million, on July 17, after a 59-day deployment to the Pacific that covered more than 1 million square miles. Three successful interdictions were executed in tandem with Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) supporting Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South), according to a Coast Guard news release.
In one encounter, a Coast Guard Over-the-Horizon (OTH) cutter boat was launched from the Resolute with a law enforcement detachment (LEDET) to intercept a suspicious speed boat in heavy seas. The OTH suffered a critical failure, rendering it inoperable. “The Resolute’s crew was able to safely recover the disabled OTH, launch the ship’s second interceptor vessel, and worked with MPA to force the go-fast to jettison their load of contraband, over 3,700 pounds of cocaine,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard raced to replace the OTH. JIATF-South, the Coast Guard’s Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC) and the Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City coordinated the replacement, which was airlifted by an HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft to Panama City, Florida. “Demanding precise timing and expert execution, the undertaking powerfully underscored the Coast Guard’s dedication to maintaining a persistent and effective presence in its counter-narcotics mission. With the replacement OTH safely cradled aboard the cutter, Team Resolute was able to resume and successfully complete their patrol in the Eastern Pacific drug smuggling vectors,” the release stated.
For many weeks after beginning its mission in May, the Resolute was the only Coast Guard cutter on patrol in the eastern Pacific, a prime smuggling route from Ecuador, which has been beset by cartel activity in recent years. Halfway through its deployment, it was joined by Coast Guard cutters Escanaba, Tahoma and Hamilton. Together, the cutters provided “broad, coordinated coverage across the major drug-smuggling vectors running from Ecuador towards the United States,” the release stated.
“Yet again, the crew impressed me with their ability to achieve significant operational success and protect American interests while fighting every day to maintain a nearly 60-year-old ship in a challenging maritime environment,” said Cmdr. Ian Starr, Resolute’s commanding officer, in the release.
JIATF-South is a U.S. Department of Defense command that leverages the capabilities of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, allies and partner nations to detect, monitor and interdict the movement of illicit narcotics throughout the Western hemisphere.