4th Fleet Frigate Offloads $78 Million in Drugs

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Allen, U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG-46) and its embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment transferred $78 Million in confiscated cocaine Sept. 15 to the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Forward (WMEC 911) in the Western Caribbean Sea while assigned to the U.S. 4th Fleet.

The 2,123 pounds of cocaine were seized in early August from a fishing vessel north of the Galapagos Islands while the Rentz was conducting Counter Transnational Organized Crime Operations (C-TOC) in the 4th Fleet area of operations in support of Operation Martillo.

Operation Martillo, Spanish for "hammer," is a partner-nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus.

"The flow of illegal drugs has a destabilizing effect on our partner nations, and together, we are determined to prevent it," said Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet. "The hard work of the Rentz and Forward crews is essential to this effort."

U.S. military participation in Operation Martillo is led by Joint Interagency Task Force-South, a component of U.S. Southern Command

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet employ maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability and build enduring partnerships that foster regional security in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility.

USS Rentz Completes Replenishment at Sea with Canadian Ship

USS RENTZ, At Sea (NNS) -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46), assigned to U.S. 4th Fleet during the annual UNITAS multinational maritime exercise, conducted replenishment at sea Sept. 11 with the Canadian supply ship HMCS Preserver (AOR 510).

UNITAS 2013 includes partner nation forces from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru, the United Kingdom and the United States that are operating off the coast of Colombia to strengthen interoperability, mutual cooperation and the ability to operate as a multinational task force through advanced maritime exercises.

The replenishment at sea was part of that training, with a real-world requirement for fuel. From the Preserver, the Rentz took aboard 47,322 gallons of marine diesel fuel.

"The Canadians made everything simple by breaking down the entire process from how to request the fuel replenishment all the way down to making payment and documentation," said Lt. Stephen Mannila, the supply officer aboard Rentz.

HMCS Preserver is a Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ship of the Royal Canadian Navy commissioned in 1970. After serving Canada's fleet in domestic and international exercises in the 1980s and 1990s, it underwent a major refit in 2005 and is now home ported in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Boatswains Mate 1st Class Charles Martin, of the Rentz, said this was his first replenishment at sea with an international partner after 11 years in the Navy - and he appreciated the expert seamanship of the Canadian ship.

"As we made our approach, they were very professional and obviously knew what they were doing, so as soon as we got alongside and they fired the shot line to us, we started the transfer of fuel," Martin said. "This was an excellent chance for our crew to see what exactly happens during replenishment at sea, especially with a very professional partner navy like Canada," Martin said.

After UNITAS concludes on Sept. 15 in Covenas, Colombia, Rentz will deploy to the Eastern Pacific to conduct counter transnational organized crime (C-TOC) operations.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) employ maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships that foster regional security in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility.

USS Rentz Arrives in 4th Fleet to Conduct Counter Drug Operations and UNITAS

By Mass Communication Specialist 1s Class Sean Allen, 4th Fleet Public Affairs

USS RENTZ, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors and an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Legal Detachment aboard the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) arrived in 4th Fleets area of operations Aug. 7 to join the multinational interagency fight against transnational organized crime as part of Operation Martillo.

Operation Martillo (Spanish for 'hammer') is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation mission headed by Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) currently conducting Counter Transnational Organized Crime (C-TOC) operations to patrol the coastal regions from Colombia to Mexico to detect and apprehend illicit traffic to include drugs, weapons, drug money and human smuggling.  This is not the ship's first deployment to 4th Fleet. Rentz supported counter drug ops in 2011.

"We welcome the men and women of Rentz to 4th Fleet and are eager to get them busy conducting counter transnational organized crime operations and supporting the Joint Interagency Forces South's Operation Martillo," said Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F). "Rentz is not a new comer to the region or to the counter drug mission and we welcome the experience and energy she is bringing to 4th Fleet."

The Operation Martillo team on Rentz includes an interagency partnership with the ship's Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team, U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Rentz is also supported by Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 49 (HSL-49), Det. 5.

"Our crew has trained long and hard in preparation for the counter-transnational organized crime operations ongoing in the areas commanded by the U.S. Navy's Fourth Fleet and U.S. Southern Command," said Cmdr. Lance Lantier, commanding officer of Rentz. "We are pleased to assist our brothers and sisters in law enforcement with stemming the flow of illicit narcotics from entering our shores and reaching our nation's communities."

Operation Martillo is a component of the U.S. government's coordinated interagency regional security strategy in support of the White House strategy to combat transnational organized crime and the U.S. Central America Regional Security Initiative.

Fourteen countries are participating in Martillo: Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. Chile has also contributed to the operation.

While on deployment to 4th Fleet, Rentz will also participate in the annual multinational UNITAS maritime exercise taking place in the Southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia from Sept. 7-14. UNITAS is the largest and longest ongoing maritime exercise in the region and is hosted by the Colombian Navy this year and will include naval and coast guard forces from 15 partner nations. Last year the exercise was hosted by 4th Fleet in Key West.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

USS Rentz participates in Undersea Warfare Exercise 09

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) participates in Undersea Warfare Exercise 09. Rentz is supporting operations in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael N. Tialemasunu/Released)