USS Minneapolis-St. Paul makes several drug busts in Caribbean Sea
250326-N-OZ224-3072 NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Mar. 26, 2025) - The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) departs Naval Station Mayport for her maiden deployment, Mar. 26, 2025. LCS 21 is deploying to the U.S. 4th F (Supplied)
CARIBBEAN SEA (FOX 9) - The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul stopped two drug smuggling operations within a 72-hour span in the Caribbean Sea.
Drug busts in the Caribbean Sea
What we know:
According to the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul made two alleged drug busts in the Caribbean Sea, both within 72 hours.
The vessels smuggling the drugs were taken out by a combination of air and surface operations, officials said.
By the numbers:
In the busts, 1,278.9 pounds of cocaine, worth $9,463,860, and 2,480 pounds of marijuana, worth $2,807,360, were confiscated.
What they're saying:
This was the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul was on her maiden deployment during the busts.
"We train diligently and stand ready to execute interdiction missions at moment’s notice, said Minneapolis-Saint Paul commanding officer Cmdr. Steven Fresse, "To be able to make an immediate impact so early on during our maiden deployment is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew."
"The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul executed their duties seamlessly in the combined effort to protect the homeland from illicit maritime trafficking." said Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. "Working in coordination with the Coast Guard and our joint partners, we look forward to seeing continued measurable impact delivered by the professional and talented crew of the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul across the region."
The Source: This report was written from a press release from the U.S. Fleet Forces Command.