The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET), in support of Operation Martillo, intercept more than 1925 pounds of cocaine being smuggled aboard a fishing boat while on routine patrol off the coast of Central America. Overall Coordination of counter-drug patrols and surveillance in the Eastern Pacific is done by a joint agency task force headquartered in Key West, Fla. U.S. maritime law enforcement and the interdiction phase of operations in the region occurs under the tactical control of the 11th Coast Guard District headquartered in Alameda, Calf. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet support USSOUTHCOMS’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cory Booth/Released)