<!--/* //NOSONAR */--><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<!--/* //NOSONAR */--><html  lang="en-US">
<head id="Head"><meta id="MetaDescription" name="DESCRIPTION" /><meta id="MetaKeywords" name="KEYWORDS" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1" /><title>
	USS Gabrielle Giffords Interdicts $7 Million in Drugs 
</title><link id="css3605" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/module.css" /><link id="css4619" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/desktopmodules/ArticleCS/styles/DOD2/style.css" /></head>
<body>
    <main>
    <div>
    <div class="aprint news">
    <div class="header">
        <img height="100" class="print-logo" alt="Site Logo" src="/Portals/7/Images/SOUTHCOM_logo_thumb.jpg?ver=SIvIeRRofyrg5ZHPpvvh6Q%3d%3d" />

        <h1 class="title">USS Gabrielle Giffords Interdicts $7 Million in Drugs </h1>
    </div>
    

    <div><b>By U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet Public Affairs Office</b> <span class="date">/ Published Dec. 10, 2020</span></div>
    <span class="dateline-text">PACIFIC OCEAN, </span>
    <p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3">The Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) seized 200 kilograms of suspected cocaine, Dec. 2.</font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3"><span style="background: white;">While on routine patrol Gabrielle Giffords was diverted to intercept a go fast vessel (GFV). Gabrielle Giffords deployed one of her helicopters, assigned to the “Wildcards” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, to provide over watch and ensure compliance while the embarked LEDET and small boats arrived to achieve positive control of the GFV. </span></font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3"><span style="background: white;">Gabrielle Giffords and the embarked LEDET searched the vessel and recovered a total of 200 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth over an estimated wholesale value of $7.5 million. Three suspected drug traffickers were also detained. </span></font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="background: white;"><font size="3">“The work our team does out here, not only helps support the counter-narcotics mission, but also makes these waters safer for all who sail,” said Cmdr. Rion Martin, commanding officer of Gabrielle Giffords. “I’m extremely proud of the professionalism displayed by our men and women as we continue to enhance regional security and stability in U.S. 4</font><sup><font size="2">th</font></sup><font size="3"> Fleet.”</font></span></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3"> </font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3">Gabrielle Giffords is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.</font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3"><span style="background: white;">On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives.</span></font></span></p>

<p style="margin: 0in;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><font size="3"><span style="background: white;">Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Learn more about USNAVSO/4th Fleet at https://www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT and @NAVSOUS4THFLT</span></font></span></p>
<br />
</div>

    </div>
    </main>
</body>
</html>