US Navy USS Pinckney destroyer with Coast Guard team seized 1400 kilograms of cocaine.

The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-Class Aegis Missile Destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team seized 1,400 kilograms of cocaine, May 14, 2020.
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The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-Class Aegis Missile Destroyer USS Pinckney and embarked LEDET recovered an estimated 1,400 kilograms of cocaine. Pinckney is deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.(Picture source U.S Coast Guard)

A U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), assigned to the “Tridents” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 26, first spotted the low profile vessel (LPV). Pinckney, with her embarked helicopters assigned to the “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 and the embarked LEDET, moved into position to intercept the LPV.

Pinckney and the embarked LEDET recovered a total of 70 bales of cocaine totaling an estimated 1,400 kilograms, worth over $28 million wholesale value.

USS Pinckney is deployed to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations conducting U.S Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South’s enhanced counter drug operations missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives.

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

The USS Pinckney (DDG-91) is an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis missile destroyer of the United States Navy. It was commissioned in June 2004 in a ceremony at Naval Base Ventura County. The ship is the 19th Arleigh Burke Class destroyer built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), and the 10th ship to honor an African-American.

Aegis destroyers are equipped to conduct a variety of missions, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, in support of the national military strategy. These multi-mission ships provide primary protection for the Navy's aircraft carriers and battle groups, as well as essential escort to Navy and U.S. Marine Corps amphibious forces, combat logistics ships and convoys. Pinckney is also the first ship in the U.S. arsenal with a remote mine hunting system.

The USS Pinckney is armed with 1 × 32 cell, 1 x 64 cell Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, 96 x RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles, one L54 Mark 19 127 mm gun, two 25 mm Bushmaster Mk 38 automatic cannon, four .50 cal 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, 2 Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes and one 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System).