VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The USCGC Vigorous (WMEC 627) returned home after a 53-day patrol to the Pacific Ocean.
Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous returned Monday to its homeport of Virginia Beach.
Vigorous is a 210-foot Reliance-class medium endurance cutter homeported in Virginia Beach with a crew of 66, according to the Coast Guard. The cutter's primary mission areas include homeland security, law enforcement, counterdrug, search and rescue, migrant interdiction, and fisheries enforcement.
Throughout the patrol, the Coast Guard says Vigorous operated in support of the Coast Guard’s Eleventh District and Joint Interagency Task Force-South, aiding in missions to interdict and disrupt the flow of illegal drugs and migrant trafficking while supporting national security and strengthening relationships with regional partners.
Vigorous seized about 1,256 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $2 million that was offloaded in Miami, on August 30.
The cutter's crew also rescued a person in distress more than 100 miles off the coast of Colombia. They provided food and mechanical assistance while awaiting a Colombian Navy asset to return the person safely to shore.
During its patrol, Vigorous also conducted a joint training exercise with the Colombian Navy. According to the Coast Guard, this training allows both to exercise interagency communication and compare drug interdiction tactics, techniques, and procedures.
After Vigorous completed about 50 days of counter-narcotics operations, crews responded to a need for more Coast Guard cutter coverage in the Straits of Florida, south of the Florida Keys.
In just 24 hours, Vigorous interdicted 31 Cuban migrants before transferring them to a Florida-based cutter.
“I’m proud of the hard work and professionalism demonstrated by the Vigorous crew,” said Commander Ryan Waters, the cutter’s commanding officer, “that made this challenging patrol successful and memorable.”
