After 69 days in the Eastern Pacific Ocean providing anti-narcotics enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast has returned to its homeport in Astoria, Oregon, it was announced March 16. During the patrol, crew members of the 210-foot medium endurance cutter interrupted drug activity in three instances, preventing the flow of over 7,500 pounds of cocaine worth $85.6 million from reaching the U.S., the Coast Guard said. In one instance, the crew traced a suspected narcotics-smuggling ship with help from a Mexican Navy surveillance aircraft and aircrew and sent a boat crew and helicopter aircrew while Mexican forces tracked it,…

After 55 days on narcotics enforcement patrol, the crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast returned to Astoria, Oregon on Oct. 7. The 210-foot medium endurance cutter traveled over 11,000 miles between Oregon and Central America, doing training, law enforcement, search and rescue and helicopter operations in international waters, the agency said. The crew was deployed with Maintenance Augmentation Team Seattle, Electronic Support Detachment Petaluma and cutter Argus, which is expected to be commissioned soon. During their tour, Steadfast crew members pursued a high-speed, panga-style vessel suspected of smuggling contraband before handing off the case to a partner…