The Secretary of Homeland Security welcomed back a new U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter from its first mission on Monday.
The Stratton returned to Alameda, Calif., after being at sea for four months off the west coast of North and Central America, Secretary Jeh Johnson said.
During its voyage the Stratton seized over 66,500 pounds of cocaine worth more than $1 billion, including seizures from two drug-running submarines, Johnson said.
The secretary highlighted one of the submarines carried 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $181 million.
“The STRATTON’s successful, record-breaking mission reflects the hard work, excellence and dedication put forth by the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard every day,” Johnson said in a statement.
The secretary noted the Stratton’s mission involved “an impressive level” of cooperation amongthe Coast Guard, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies in the United States, Canada, and other partner nations.
The Stratton was christened by First Lady Michelle Obama in March 2012 and named in honor of Dorothy Constance Stratton, the first female commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.
As a new National Security Cutter, the Stratton is part of the Coast Guard’s recapitalization of the fleet, Johnson said.