National Defence Reports HMCS William Hall Seizes 1,300 Kilograms of Cocaine

On May 29 and 31, HMCS William Hall and an embarked United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment seized more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine during two separate maritime patrols in the Caribbean Sea, according to the Department of National Defence.

The seizures occurred while the ship was supporting Operation CARIBBE, which National Defence describes as Canada's participation in United States-led enhanced counter-narcotics missions targeting drug trafficking in international waters.

During both operations, multi-role rescue boats were launched from HMCS William Hall to intercept vessels of interest, resulting in the confiscation of the narcotics. Collaboration between the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Coast Guard is enabled by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010, which permits United States Coast Guard law enforcement teams to operate from Canadian Navy ships and aircraft during Operation CARIBBE, according to National Defence.

National Defence states that the Canadian Armed Forces have participated in Operation CARIBBE since 2006 and continue to deploy ships and aircraft to the region on a rotational basis. According to National Defence, HMCS William Hall is the second Canadian ship to deploy on Operation CARIBBE in 2025. Earlier in the year, HMCS Harry DeWolf completed a deployment in the region and, according to National Defence, was involved in the seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine.

National Defence also states that Operation CARIBBE supports Operation MARTILLO, a United States-led effort aimed at suppressing drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea as part of multinational strategies targeting the movement of illegal drugs in international waters.