Posted on 09/15/2006 11:13:07 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) recently scored her third successful take down of narcotics trafficking vessels in less than two weeks, and assisted in the take down of a fourth, interdicting an estimated 8.1 metric tons of cocaine during a counter-narco terrorism operations (CNT OPS) deployment for U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.
While on patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in early August, Stephen W. Groves took down a “go fast” loaded with an estimated 2.6 metric tons of cocaine and interdicted another “go fast” that was preparing to onload narcotics. “Go fast” vessels are small, multi-engined speedboats commonly used to transport illicit narcotics.
Less than two weeks later, the ship’s crew, along with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) (46), Det. 8, and embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 105 interdicted a third “go fast” vessel. Stephen W. Groves was able to close to within a few miles of the “go fast” before being detected and having to give chase. Stephen W. Groves pursued the “go fast” at high speed for the next hour and a half before catching her and detaining her four crew members.
“It is really rare to capture a fully-fuelled 'go-fast' in a flat-out chase,” said Lt. j.g. Scott McCann, LEDET 105 officer in charge. "It is estimated this bust prevented 3 metric tons of cocaine from making it to the United States."
A 26-hour, 750-mile pursuit a few days later resulted in the interdiction of an additional 2.5 metric tons of cocaine and the detention of 10 suspects.
“Only with the precise coordination of everyone involved was the capture of these go-fasts possible,” added Stephen W. Groves’ Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Jon Kreitz. “We could not have had these successes without the terrific support of several maritime patrol aircraft and personnel ashore. We’ve had a terrific couple of weeks interdicting over eight tons of cocaine.”
Stephen W. Groves began her six-month counter-drug operations deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command area of responsibility in early April. While deployed, Stephen W. Groves’ crew works with other assets from Joint Interagency Task Force South, the agency responsible for counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
Homeported in Mayport, Fla., Stephen W. Groves is a Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14 ship. During the ship’s deployment, the crew will be patrolling nearly 4 million square nautical miles of water in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
"This is what I joined the Navy for, for a chance to get out and do what we train for, and for a chance to really make a difference," Quartermaster 2nd Class (SW) Zachary Bullock said. "I know that’s what we’re doing."
For more information on Stephen W. Groves, go to www.groves.navy.mil.
For more information on U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, go to www.cusns.navy.mil.
For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cusns/.
evidence in countries that have legalized drugs show no increase in addicts. Your argument of increased addicts has no facts to support it. It's just the typical knee jerk response to continue a failed program.
I disagree. The government would tax it to death, the trial lawyers would sue everyone who makes it or disributes it. It would Cigarettes II.
They're the same folks who (correctly) criticize the Left for viewing government policy through the prism of emotion, yet fall into the same emotional mindset ('it's for the children', 'throw the maggot-infested, dope-smoking FM types in jail', etc.) when anyone suggests much-needed reforms to drug laws.
That was my first thought but opted not to post it. But, you are absolutely right. We have bigger fish to fry and the drug cartels are ALWAYS 3 steps ahead of us. It's like trying to play golf with Tiger Woods. It's like trying to return Roger Federer's serve. Sure you might get a few back but the chances are he'll ace you the majority of the time.
Is this a photo of MAD-AS-HELL?
I'm thinkin that one 3 inch round could have made that chase a lot shorter.
There is only one way to find out. Legalize it. We already know the war on drugs isn't working. Let's see what happens if we start to legalize certain drugs and see how it affect crime etc. The question is, are you the type of person that would actually change his opinion on the matter if he was proved wrong?
You are aware that ONE singular carrier group would take care of any two navies that does not include Britain right????
Rockets would really help.
Wow! My son was a navigator on an AWACS plane, and a guy on the crew happened to notice (from way up there) that a ship passing by at the mouth of SF Bay had new rivets. The CG dropped on it, and sure enough, the deck had new rivets because the panels had been lifted to install mucho bucks worth of drugs beneath.
I disagree. It's like cutting your arm to see if it slows the bleeding in your leg. Roll back the nanny government first. You can't legalize a dangerous product while another similar dangerous product is being slowly outlawed. You have to get the government out of the business first.
Read up on China and Turkey, and try to figure out why those two countries are so hard on drug dealers and usage. Drugs virtually destroyed Chinese society. By the way, it was the US and Britian that traded opium into China for their goods.
From what I've heard, the Chinese are expanding their navy quite rapidly, possibly in preparation for an invasion of Taiwan. With American forces preoccupied in the Persian Gulf and off North Korea, the Chinese may very soon be tempted to strike. I believe that our battle fleet should not be wasting its time playing 'narc': there are much bigger fish to fry.
[Regulate it. Take away the allure of it. It will bring the price down and then you'll end the crime associated with cartels and hit a very imporants funding source for Terrorists as they won't be able to profit from it as much as they are now. But, we never learn from what we experienced from Prohibition]
I dissagree. Alcohol Vs Cocaine/Crack/Heroin/Etc. in the context of prohibition is like comparing Gasoline and Nitroglyceron. They are very different substances with few likenesses. They both effect brain function and feeling. Sure, alcohol is a weakness for many that is linked to bad behavior. But the harder stuff (crack/heroin/)only takes a couple of thrills to completely consume the functional rational of a person. There are drunks that live life drink to drink. But not everyone who drinks is a drunk. Most of those who do the hard stuff more than very rarely, end up hooked. There is no such thing as a casual crack smoker (just once or twice a week). They are then a slave to the drug and cease to be able to function positively. There are those who have tried it and not been hooked. I know some who do it once or twice a year. But I know far more that "tried it" a couple of times and woke up to real life a few years later in rehab. In those few years, they have felony records, no family, no friends, no money, no house and usually have left a wake of destruction.
I haven't.
Now, tell us your story.
Nothing smaller than a five inch in use on those frigates these days.
This is probably a year's supply for Hollywood, so they're probably worried. Have a heart, Hollywood, there's always meth. It gets cooked everywhere.
Post #18
Your argument about legalizing drugs to make the price come down in the context of economics is missing a big peice of why the price changes. Remeber supply and demand. The price is what it is as a result of the demand Vs supply. Legalize it and the supply goes way up to meet demand and the price comes down. Addiction drives demand as more and more get hooked on crack and so goes supply to regulate the price on the curve.
So your theory that driving the price down hurts terrorist is liberal logic.
I know of one guy who went into rehab shortly after graduating from college for cocaine, but I thought it was weird because, while he sold a lot of coke and ecstasy, I never really saw him do very much. Seems he was addicted to the lifestyle of being a drug pusher. Last I heard, a couple of years ago, he's doing OK.
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