Royal Navy Ship HMS Trent Seizes Cocaine Worth £40 Million In The Caribbean Sea

The Royal Navy’s HMS Trent has seized cocaine worth over £40 million in a recent operation in the Caribbean Sea. This is the ship’s sixth successful drug interception this year, with a total of £551.5 million in narcotics seized in 2024.

On August 8, HMS Trent, a Portsmouth-based patrol ship, received an alert of a suspicious speedboat around 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. With the assistance of a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the vessel quickly closed in on the target.

Royal Marines and US Coast Guard officers were dispatched to intercept the boat, resulting in the seizure of 506kg of Class A narcotics. The three smugglers on board have been handed over to the U.S. authorities for prosecution.

Commander Tim Langford, the Commanding Officer of HMS Trent, applauded his team’s actions, stating that the successful operation alongside the American partners demonstrates HMS Trent’s ability to assist in anti-trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea.

Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, also praised the operation, adding that the interception shows the Royal Navy’s crucial role in ensuring maritime security and upholding international law throughout the region. Pollard further said that they are sending a strong message to drug traffickers that no place is secure and that they will disrupt their operations wherever in the world.

HMS Trent has captured a total of 6,995kg of drugs this year as part of an extensive multinational operation in close collaboration with the US Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South).

HMS Trent continues to patrol the Caribbean, offering assurance to British Overseas Territories during hurricane season and actively minimizing the flow of illegal cargo through the region.

Reference: Royal Navy

Royal Navy Ship HMS Trent Seizes Cocaine Worth £40 Million In The Caribbean Sea appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News