D7 Photo Releases

PHOTO RELEASE: Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma crew offloads 88 bales of cocaine in Miami

2010-08-23T22:42:48Z

Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma crewmembers offload bales of cocaine at Base Support Unit Miami Aug. 23, 2010. Tahoma crewmembers offloaded 88 bales (5,700 pounds) with an estimated street value of more than $80 million. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Ameen.

Petty Officer 1st Class Larry Berman, a health service technician aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, stacks bales of cocaine on the pier at Base Support Unit Miami Aug. 23, 2010. Tahoma crewmembers offloaded 88 bales (5,700 pounds) with an estimated street value of more than $80 million. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Ameen.

MIAMI -- Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma offloaded 88 bales of cocaine worth more than $80 million, seized from a 30-foot vessel, at Base Support Unit Miami Monday.

While on a routine law-enforcement patrol in the Caribbean Sea Aug. 3, crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Forward located a suspicious Honduran-flagged fishing vessel about 27 miles off Honduras. The crew of the Forward boarded the vessel, located 88 bales of cocaine, and detained five suspects. The vessel was later sunk as a hazard to navigation in an undisclosed location.

The five suspects and seized contraband were transferred to the cutter Tahoma for further transfer to Customs and Borders Protection officials ashore in Miami.

The Forward is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Va.
The Tahoma is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, N.H.

PHOTO RELEASE: Coast Guard Cutter Venturous returns home after 49-day patrol

2010-08-18T19:02:02Z

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous returned home Wednesday following a 49-day deployment to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and the Caribbean Sea.

After arriving off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., the Venturous crew assumed on-scene command and control for vessels responding to the spill. Crewmembers developed a communications and operations framework that will help to sustain continued oil spill response efforts in the future.

"The crew has exceeded expectations on this patrol and we're pleased to have played an active role in preventing additional oil from reaching gulf coast beaches," said Cmdr. Ted St. Pierre, commanding officer for the Venturous.

Once the Deepwater Horizon well site was capped and Coast Guard Cutter Decisive took over the command and control duties, Venturous crewmembers continued their patrol off the coast of Haiti in support of Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations.

Coast Guard Cutter Venturous is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter, homeported in St. Petersburg. It has a crew of 85 officers and enlisted personnel. Typical missions include counter-drug operations, alien migrant interdiction, search and rescue and fisheries enforcement.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Cutter Venturous pull in to St. Petersburg after a 49-day patrol Aug. 18, 2010. During the patrol, Venturous crewmembers were deployed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and the Caribbean Sea. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Rob Simpson.

Cmdr. Ted St. Pierre, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, gives his two daughters a big hug after returning from a 49-day deployment to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and the Caribbean Sea Aug. 18, 2010. The Venturous crew assumed on-scene command and control for vessels responding to the spill. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle.

Petty Officer 1st Class Brad Pfalzer, a crewmember onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, embraces his family after returning from a 49-day deployment to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and the Caribbean Sea Aug. 18, 2010. The Venturous crew assumed on-scene command and control for vessels responding to the spill. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

Photo Release Coast Guard Cutter Dallas visited by Republic of Georgia's ambassador to the United States

2010-06-11T23:37:32Z

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Batu Kutelia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the Republic of Georgia, speaks to the crew of the 378-foot Coast Guard Cutter Dallas in Charleston Friday, June 11, 2010. Ambassador Kutelia thanked the crew for their efforts in assisting the Navy destroyer USS McFaul in providing humanitarian relief supplies, including hygiene items, food, milk and juice to the Republic of Georgia during the Russia-Georgian War in August 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Evanson.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Coast Guard Cmdr. Lawrence Ellis, executive officer of the 378-foot Coast Guard Dallas, presents Batu Kutelia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the Republic of Georgia, a ship's ball cap Friday, June 11, 2010. Ambassador Kutelia spoke to the crew of the Charleston-based cutter, to give thanks for their efforts in partnership with the Navy destroyer USS McFaul, in which they provided humanitarian relief supplies, including hygiene items, food, milk and juice to the Georgian people during the Russia-Georgian War in August 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Evanson.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Coast Guard Cmdr. Lawrence Ellis, executive officer of the 378-foot Coast Guard Dallas, poses alongside Batu Kutelia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the Republic of Georgia Friday, June 11, 2010. Ambassador Kutelia spoke to the crew of the Charleston-based cutter, to give thanks for their efforts in partnership with the Navy destroyer USS McFaul, in which they provided humanitarian relief supplies, including hygiene items, food, milk and juice to the Georgian people during the Russia-Georgian War in August 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Evanson.

Photo release Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet holds open house

2010-05-26T13:33:33Z

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – As part of National Safe Boating Week, Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet held an open house Tuesday May 25, 2010 for the public to see the various types of life jackets and Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB). The tour started in Jacksonville, Fla., May 22, 2010 and will end in Miami May 28. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3^rd Class Michael Hulme

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A parade of boats makes its way from Ponce Inlet to Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet, consisting of the “Wear It” Florida boat; patrol vessels from the FWC, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Volusia County Sheriff's Office; and Port Orange, South Daytona, Ponce Inlet and Edgewater police departments Tuesday, May 25, 2010. The tour which began in Jacksonville, Fla., will continue along the East Coast of Florida with stops in Titusville, Fla., West Palm Beach, Fla., Pompano Beach, Fla., ending in Miami May 28. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3^rd Class Michael Hulme

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – As part of National Safe Boating Week, the Coast Guard along with FWC held an open house at Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet where the public and media could view the many static displays for the “Wear It” campaign Tuesday May 24, 2010. The “Wear It” campaign is an incentive aimed at increasing the number of boaters wearing their life jackets. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3^rd Class Michael Hulme

Photos available Coast Guard responds to additional tar ball reports in Florida Keys Tuesday

2010-05-18T18:19:52Z

Click thumbnails for larger images.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Coast Guard pollution investigators from Sector Key West are currently responding to reports of tar balls found on the beaches in Big Pine Key, Fla., Loggerhead Key, Fla., and Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla.

Coast Guard Sector Key West received notification from the National Response Center at approximately 8 a.m. of tar balls on the beach in Big Pine Key, followed by a 9 a.m. report of tar balls on Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park. The report of tar balls on Smathers Beach came via telephone to watchstanders at Sector Key West at approximately 8:20 a.m. Tuesday.

The Coast Guard is currently working with the National Park Service and Florida Department of Environmental Protection to respond. Shoreside Assessment Teams from the Coast Guard are currently conducting assessments of the shorelines of Key West and Big Pine Key, and an aerial search by a Coast Guard helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami with a qualified pollution investigator aboard is ongoing.

Capt. Pat DeQuattro, commanding officer of Sector Key West, has authorized the use of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to commence cleanups of any pollution. Samples will be taken of any tar balls collected and will be sent to the Coast Guard Oil Analysis Laboratory in Groton, Conn., to determine the origin of the source.

The public is asked to report the sighting of any tar balls to the U.S. Coast Guard at 1 (800) 424-8802. Any oiled shorelines can be reported to 1 (866) 448-5816.

The public is reminded that tar balls are a hazardous material and should only be retrieved by trained personnel. The beaches on the Florida Keys remain open at this time.

Coast Guardsmen help clean up South Carolina beaches

2010-04-26T21:01:18Z

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Drayton Parker and Petty Officer Gary Barnum take part in cleanup efforts at Folly Beach, S.C., Thursday April 22, 2010, to celebrate Earth Day. Volunteers cleaned up an area littered with sand fencing that had been deposited by recent erosion. Volunteer members brought tools such as shovels, wire cutters, and heavy gloves to remove the hazardous fencing. U.S. Coast Guard Auxliary photo by Bob Orenstein.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Coast Guard members from Coast Guard Sector Charleston pose for a photo after participating in cleanup efforts at Folly Beach, S.C., Thursday April 22, 2010, in support of Earth Day. Several hundred pounds of hazardous and damaged sand fencing and excess trash was removed from the beachfront. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Bob Orenstein.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Petty Officer 1^st Class Chris Lawhorn (left) and Petty Officer 1^st Class John Peek remove debris from Folly Beach, S.C., in an Earth Day inspired beach clean up Thursday April 22, 2010. More than 30 members from Coast Guard Sector Charleston and Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotillas 12-6 and 12-8 collaborated with the Folly Beach Management Patrol in the cleanup efforts. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Bob Orenstein.