U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials have detailed the successful completion of the USCGC Venturous (WMEC 625) assignment in the Florida Straits and Windward Passage.
The crew recently returned to their homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida, following a 47-day patrol in support of Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast and Operation Vigilant Sentry in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility.
During deployment, Venturous’ crew conducted maritime safety and security missions while working to detect, deter and intercept unsafe and illegal maritime migration ventures bound for the United States, according to the Coast Guard.
“Often, migrant interdiction operations quickly turn into urgent rescue for the homemade, overloaded, and dangerously unsafe vessels attempting to reach the southeast border by sea,” Venturous Commanding Officer Cmdr. Cory Riesterer said. “I am proud of the professionalism displayed by the crew throughout this mentally and physically challenging mission.”
During the assignment, Venturous’ crew also interdicted multiple unsafe and overloaded migrant vessels, including one boat that had been adrift for nearly 15 days at sea, and provided 264 migrants with food, water, shelter, and medical aid and repatriated 206 migrants back to their country of origin.
The Coast Guard noted cutter missions include counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcement of federal fishery laws, as well as search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.