MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- USS De Wert (FFG 45) returned to Naval Station Mayport Oct. 6 after a five-month counter-illicit deployment to the Eastern Pacific with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 46 Detachment 1 and Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) 101 and 103.
De Wert succeeded in intercepting 8.1 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of $180 million.
On July 11, De Wert, LEDET 103, HSL-46 Det. 1, and Colombian Navy ship Buenaventura worked together to successfully intercept two go-fast vessels, each carrying more than a ton of cocaine. De Wert recovered several bales that one of the suspect vessels tried to jettison, and the bales were later confirmed to be narcotics. On Sept. 20, De Wert, HSL-46 Det 1, and LEDET 101 intercepted a fishing vessel carrying more than three metric tons of cocaine.
De Wert departed Mayport May 23 and stopped in Roatan, Honduras, for a brief port visit, where De Wert Sailors enjoyed snorkeling and diving, shopping and relaxing on the beach in Roatan's West Bay. Sailors also participated in a community relations (COMREL) project where they painted a portion of a public hospital and hosted ship tours for local elementary school children.
Other port visits included Salaverry, Peru; Vasco Nunez de Balboa (VNB), Panama; and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. The port visits provided the Sailors with liberty and a chance to experience the culture of the host nations. The Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) team set up numerous trips including tours of local temples in Salaverry, a white-water rafting trip in VNB, and a beach trip and driving tour of the city in Curacao.
In addition to the COMREL project in Roatan, De Wert Sailors volunteered to repaint the wall of Severina Hernandez Elementary School in VNB in August.
"My experience at the COMREL was gratifying and fulfilling," said Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class (AW/SW) Julius Jones. "Everyone, students and teachers alike, jumped at the opportunity to help unload supplies when we arrived and made us feel immediately welcome."
De Wert also participated in Project Handclasp, donating four pallets containing more than 1,000 lbs. of donated goods to a local hospital and several local clinics in Roatan and two pallets containing more than 500 lbs. of donated goods to the school children of Severina Hernandez Elementary School in VNB. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program which coordinates the transportation and delivery of hygienic and educational material to needy recipients throughout the world.
During the deployment, De Wert was under operational control of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO)/U.S. 4th Fleet conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations for Joint Interagency Task Force-South in the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of focus. Once the ship returned to Mayport, U.S. 2nd Fleet took over operational control
NAVSO, the naval component command of SOUTHCOM, directs U.S. Naval Forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interacts with partner nation navies within the maritime environment. Various operations include counter-illicit trafficking, theater security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.
Fourth Fleet is the numbered fleet assigned to NAVSO, exercising operational control of assigned forces in the SOUTHCOM area of focus.