Description M/V Barovento, intercepted by the SHEARWATER, The ship was brought pierside and a more thorough search conducted, where cocaine was found onboard and seized
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1992
To Month/Year
December / 1992
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Brian Huff, Troy Mathews, Doug Piper, Julie King, barry Cates, Bill Strong, USCGC SHEARWATER, Group Key West, USCGC GALLATIN
Memories Numerous counterdrug patrols during my career. My first drug bust seen was the M/V Barovento, intercepted by the SHEARWATER, where a former CG shipmate and still friend, Suzanne Matos, was onboard. The ship was brought pierside and a more thorough search conducted, where cocaine was found onboard and seized. My next drug bust was also onboard SHEARWATER, this time as the QM2, in 1993. We boarded the tug vessel SEA CRESCENT, sailing from Columbia to the US. The captain was a US citizen, and if I remember correctly, had hired at the last second a columbian deckhand to make the trip. The deckhand turned out to be a drug runner, and during the course of the boarding, several kilos of cocaine were found onbord. The tug was escorted to Key West, where the crew was eventually turned over to Customs and DEA officials. After that, it took almost 17-18 years before I saw my next drug bust, this time on GALLATIN. We patrolled off the coast of Columbia and Venezuela, the furthest south I had ever been. During my tour we had 3 massive drug busts, all involving cocaine. Definitely one of the highlights of my career!
