Canadian, U.S. Coast Guards Team on Caribbean Sea Drug Bust
HCMS Harry DeWolf successfully assisted in conducting a seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. Credit: Adobe Stock/joseph roland
Credit: National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
On March 1, 2025, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf successfully assisted a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) in conducting a seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. This seizure, supported by Colombian air and maritime assets, has an estimated street value $18.8 million.
Sailing in support of Operation CARIBBE, Canada's contribution to the United States (US)-led enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea, HMCS Harry DeWolf is supporting international efforts to prevent the flow of illicit substances into Canada and North America. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deploy ships and aircraft to the region on a rotational basis to support the US mission to suppress drug trafficking in international waters.
"Operation CARIBBE is a prime example of the tremendous collaboration between the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Coast Guard to keep our respective domestic borders and our mutual continental environment safe and secure," said Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz, Commander Maritime Component Command. "And we have been doing this with great success for 19 years! Every kilogram of illegal narcotics seized during Operation CARIBBE is a kilogram that won’t make it to the streets of Canada, the United States, or elsewhere around the world. Bravo Zulu to everybody who assisted with this significant seizure. We look forward to our continued partnership with our American allies on this crucial operation."
Operation CARIBBE began in November 2006 and is part of the broader US-led Operation Martillo. In 2010, Canada and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing USCG LEDETs to operate from RCN ships and aircraft during Operation CARIBBE. In 2024, as part of the operation, HMC Ships Margaret Brooke, Summerside, Edmonton, and Yellowknife worked to interdict 2,710 kilograms of contraband and illicit substances.
Members of HMCS Harry DeWolf and its embarked United States Law Enforcement Detachment pose with narcotics that were seized during Operation CARIBBE on March 1, 2025. Credit: National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
