DATE: October 20, 2005 12:08:33 PM PDT
10-20-05 USCG TO BRIEF ON COCAINE INTERDICTION, RECORD SEIZURES FOR FY05

Public Affairs Detachment
San Diego, Calif.
U.S. Coast Guard

DHS USCG Banner

Media Advisory

Date: October 20, 2005

Contact: Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier
(619) 278-7022, phone
(619) 247-5064, mobile

COAST GUARD TO CONDUCT PRESS BRIEFING TO ANNOUNCE COCAINE INTERDICTION, RECORD YEAR OF INTERDICTIONS

COAST GUARD ISLAND, ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard will conduct a press briefing here Friday to announce the recent interdiction of approximately 11.5 tons of cocaine by the San Diego-based Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton.

The cocaine will be offloaded here and made available for the media to view before it’s forwarded to an undisclosed location for processing.

The 2005 federal fiscal year ending Sep. 30 represents the second straight record-setting year for Coast Guard drug interdictions. This year’s total is approximately 150 tons, sixty-two percent of which, or roughly 93 tons, was seized along the eastern Pacific coasts of Central and South America.

The San Diego-based U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team - Pacific contributed to the record seizure, preventing more than 40 tons of narcotics from reaching the Unites States.

The following facts apply to the press briefing:

WHO:

  • Vice Adm. Harvey Johnson, Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area
  • Rear Adm. Kevin Eldridge, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District
  • Ralph Utley, acting director, DHS Office of Counter Narcotics Enforcement and U.S. Interdiction Coordinator
  • Joseph Ruddy, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tamp, Fla. And Operation Panama Express
  • Daniel Dipentino, director of air operations, San Diego Sector of CBP Air

WHAT:

A press briefing to announce the recent interdiction of approximately 11.5 tons of cocaine and the Coast Guard’s second straight year for record breaking drug interdictions.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Friday, October 21. Media should plan to arrive at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: Coast Guard Island
Pier 3, at the end of McCullough Street
(Continue through the gate on Campbell and turn left on McCullough)
Alameda, CA 94501

B-roll video and still imagery is available at the press briefing. San Diego media should coordinate with their San Francisco affiliates.

Interested media should contact Public Affairs at (510) 437-3375 to coordinate entry onto Coast Guard Island, parking, imagery and interviews.

San Diego media should contact Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier, 11th Coast Guard District Public Affairs - San Diego, at (619) 278-7022, phone or (619) 247-5064, mobile for local interviews.

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