page_title: Charley L. Diaz
section_title: Largest maritime drug bust in U.S. history
hierarchical_section_title: Charley L. Diaz / Largest maritime drug bust in U.S. history
caption_attribution_description: Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest drug bust in United States Coast Guard history (20 tons of cocaine) off the Coast of Panama
context_page_description: Captain Charley L. Diaz is a 30-year United States Coast Guard veteran who served on Active Duty from 1982 to 2012. Diaz is best known for leading the crew of the USCGC Sherman in the seizure of the Panamanian freighter GATUN off the coast of Panama in March 2007, which netted nearly 20 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $600 million. It was the largest maritime drug bust in US history.
  On July 21, 2005, Diaz became the first American of Hispanic descent to command a High endurance cutter. From 2008 until his retirement, Diaz was named one of the "Top Hispanics in the U.S. Military" by Hispanic Engineer & IT magazine. He officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard on June 30, 2012. Diaz is an independent Homeland Security consultant in the greater Washington, D.C. area and President of Diaz and Associates, Maritime Consultants.
context_section_description: On March 18, 2007, Diaz led the crew of the USCGC Sherman in the seizure of the motor vessel GATUN with 765 bales of cocaine (nearly 20 tons) worth an estimated $600 million; it remains the largest maritime drug bust in U.S. history. USCGC Sherman was working for the Joint Interagency Task Force South at the time. Operating on a tip from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the working closely with Panamanian officials, the takedown occurred just west of the Panama Canal entrance. The cocaine was hidden in two shipping containers. The drugs were later offloaded in Alameda, California where they were transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration and transported via two Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft to Florida for destruction. This celebrated drug seizure made headlines around the world.
caption: The M/V Gatun seizure
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