VP-16 'War Eagle' success continues in war against drugs

In the first case, a VP-16 crew launched in search of a high-speed boat known to be transiting the area. When detected, the smugglers immediately went dead in the water, hoping to disappear into the rolling waves of the ocean's surface (without their telltale wake). Despite their efforts, the squadron maintained contact until relieved by a U.S. Custom's Service aircraft who stayed on station until surface units could arrive on scene. As is common practice for the smugglers, the crew abandoned the vessel and set it ablaze once a U.S. Navy ship was spotted on the horizon. The extensive fire damage to the vessel meant only part of the cocaine shipment could be recovered before it became unsafe for the boarding crew to remain on board. A total of 2.6 metric tons of cocaine with a street value of 296 million dollars were seized.

Days later, another VP-16 crew launched and found two high-speed boats traveling together off the Central American coast. Once discovered, the boat crews stopped and rigged tarps to disguise their actions from the War Eagles watching from above. With the P-3 orbiting overhead, the crews are believed to have scuttled their cargo. The two boats then raced apart from each other, trying to break contact with the P-3 but to no avail. The aircrew watched as the two vessels rendezvoused a short time later. The crews of the two vessels boarded one boat and set the second ablaze. They raced out of the area, hoping to evade capture. Squadron members continued to monitor the suspect vessel until intercepted by Mexican authorities. Combined with previous drug busts, the War Eagles have helped intercept more than 28 metric tons of cocaine worth an estimated 3.5 billion dollars since deploying in June.