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00:00United States Coast Guard Cutter Berthoff is the latest weapon in America's war on drugs.
00:06Currently a couple of .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the bow in case this turns south.
00:11She's on the front line, hunting down drug smugglers on the high seas.
00:15Now, go fast, go fast, go fast. Set LA phase two for suspect go fast.
00:20Berthoff is loaded with the latest weapons, chase boats and a helicopter gunship.
00:27US Coast Guard Cutter Berthoff.
00:30A maritime super cop, busting drug smugglers in the Eastern Pacific.
00:43Panama City, Panama.
00:46The pride of the American Coast Guard, the National Security Cutter Berthoff,
00:50is getting ready to leave for the Pacific.
00:53The National Security Cutter Berthoff is getting ready to leave port
00:56after a few days of shore leave for her 120 member crew.
01:01She's in the middle of a tough three month maritime law enforcement
01:05and anti-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
01:09Berthoff's sleek hull is 127 meters long and 17 meters wide.
01:15On the bow, her main 57 millimeter deck gun.
01:19A high-tech computerized bridge.
01:21Below that, the CIC, or Combat Information Center.
01:26Further aft, the helicopter hangar and flight deck.
01:30In the stern, the boat launch or notch.
01:36This morning, the crew has assembled to hear Executive Officer Dave Ramassini
01:40brief them on the mission ahead.
01:44Once we clear the harbor, the canal, and head past territorial seas today,
01:56we're looking to do boat ops and helo ops.
01:59So prepare yourself for that.
02:01But our mission this morning is to get Berthoff safely back to sea
02:04and back on our mission.
02:06Appreciate everybody's compliance and good behavior in Panama.
02:10I hope you had a fun time.
02:12Glad everybody got back safe and sound.
02:20And as XO said, just safely let's get out of the harbor and let's get back to work.
02:25Any questions?
02:28The crew hauls in the mooring lines and Berthoff gets underway.
02:33She's heading to sea through the western end of the Panama Canal
02:36into the Pacific and waters favored by drug cartels.
02:41The Panama Canal is thick with ship traffic, and there's always a risk of collision.
02:47Captain John Prince's number one priority is the safety of his ship and crew.
02:53What I'm primarily focused on is where is my ship in relation to the center of the channel.
02:58Do I have any traffic coming up from behind me?
03:00My crew is trained. They know what to do.
03:02They know what they should be doing. They know how to do it.
03:05I can kind of stand back and keep the big picture about what's happening.
03:0922-year-old ensign Melissa Martinelli is feeling the pressure.
03:13She graduated from the Coast Guard Academy just six months ago.
03:18Under supervision and with the guidance of a Panamanian harbor pilot,
03:22she's driving this $650 million ship for the very first time.
03:27Right now I'm conning the ship.
03:29We're getting underway and heading down the channel.
03:33We need to make sure that we have a clear passage.
03:37Up ahead, a small fishing boat is in Berthoff's way.
03:58Surrounded by fellow officers and crew,
04:01ensign Martinelli knows she's expected to perform as officer of the deck.
04:06The level of responsibility is enormous.
04:10As the conning officer of the OOD,
04:12the captain has entrusted you to ultimately keep the ship safe.
04:20Now clear of the Panama Canal, the harbor pilot has done his job
04:24and is picked up for the next customer ship.
04:32Berthoff is heading towards danger,
04:34on a smuggling route called Go Fast Alley,
04:37used by cocaine smugglers in high-speed motorboats.
04:41It's a 300-kilometer stretch of water that runs between Panama and Colombia.
04:46And it's here that a very high-stakes game of cat and mouse is played out.
04:51The international law affords us the right to approach a vessel
04:55and visit a vessel to determine its nationality.
04:58And that's really the hook that allows us to approach these vessels
05:02and determine what they're doing out here.
05:05The U.S. Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security
05:09and Berthoff's the first of a new line of national security cutters,
05:13known as the Legend class, that can be deployed worldwide.
05:17She's powered by twin diesel engines and a gas turbine
05:21for a top speed of 30 knots or 56 kilometers per hour.
05:29This afternoon, Berthoff's helicopter and chase boats
05:32will be launched to practice intercepting drug boats.
05:35The ship's twin-engine dolphin helicopter
05:38isn't an ordinary search-and-rescue aircraft.
05:41It's essentially a helicopter gunship,
05:44designed to stop boats at sea by shooting out their motors if required.
05:49It belongs to the Coast Guard's elite Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron,
05:54or HITRON.
05:58For security reasons, the pilots and crew can't be identified.
06:02HITRON's primary mission is counter-narcotics.
06:06We are the only Coast Guard air station
06:10that is authorized to use precision fire from the helicopter.
06:14Helicopter Control Officer is another of Ensign Martinelli's multiple roles.
06:19Shooter tower, you are clear to take off the port.
06:22Take signals from the LSO. Green deck.
06:25Green deck.
06:27The LSO, or Landing Signals Officer, gives the final clearance for takeoff.
06:32As the Helicopter Control Officer, you need to be aware of what's going on
06:37and have an understanding of what the different teams of people are doing
06:42and ultimately land and launch the Gila safely.
06:46This afternoon, it's target practice for the ship's helicopter.
06:50In real situations, the chopper will try to stop suspect vessels
06:54with warning shots first.
06:57If they still don't stop, at that point we'll go into disabling fire.
07:02We'll use a .50 caliber sniper rifle to disable the engines one by one
07:06until the vessel complies and stops.
07:09A cardboard box that's a stand-in for the motor on a smuggling boat
07:13is put through the high-caliber shredder.
07:16The way the gun is positioned out the door,
07:18oftentimes the muzzle blast hits the flying pilot in the face.
07:22It's going to be kind of a challenge at night.
07:24It's like getting kicked in the head by a horse.
07:26It's not uncommon to come back from a flight after having fired the gun
07:29and having gunpowder on your visor and oftentimes on your teeth.
07:33A lot of fun.
07:35Two of Berthoff's three small chase boats have also been launched
07:40and they're practicing high-speed takedowns.
07:44Boatswain's mate, 2nd Class Jonathan Lee,
07:46is hoping to qualify as the boat's cockswing, or driver, during this patrol.
07:51The safety of his fellow crew members is in his hands.
07:55Make sure you're checking the throttle.
07:57You're up the old waves. You need a better ride.
08:00Try to come down a little bit.
08:02It's a requirement for my job here to get qualified to help out the crew.
08:09It's a sense of accomplishment.
08:11Captain Prince has a perfect view of the chase boats from the starboard bridge wing.
08:16Hold a steady position and then you guys can come back and forth on them.
08:21This is high-speed, close-proximity maneuvering,
08:25so what our small boat is practicing here is their tactics and techniques
08:29for stopping a non-compliant vessel.
08:31And if the vessel doesn't heed their command to stop at that point,
08:35as the situation dictates, we're prepared to use whatever force is required.
08:40Captain Prince trains his crew hard,
08:43but they always need to be ready for the real deal.
08:46We could run across somebody in the next ten minutes,
08:48so you never know when a case is going to pop up.
08:51We don't want to do too much training because then we fatigue our crew,
08:54but we have to balance that between let's make sure our folks are mission ready
08:58so when the case does happen, we're ready to go.
09:02With the day's training complete, the helicopter is brought back to the ship.
09:06Shooter, Tower, you are cleared to land over the center line with primary tie-downs.
09:10Take signals from the LSO. Green deck.
09:15Green deck.
09:29After engine shutdown, the helicopter is secured to the deck,
09:33but is always ready to take off at short notice.
09:39The chase boats are also brought back to the ship.
09:42For Seth and Lee, the training session went according to plan.
09:46On this boat, I'm feeling really comfortable.
09:48It's mostly the other boats that are giving me more trouble
09:52just because it's a new type of platform, a new asset, different style engines.
09:56I feel pretty confident about this one,
09:58and therefore I'm hoping to get qualified here really soon.
10:05A chase boat is hooked up and winched back aboard.
10:13With the stern doors open, the other small boat is driven into the notch.
10:27After hours of intensive training, it's evening meal call in the mess.
10:32Tonight, rice pilaf, pork loin, chicken and cupcakes.
10:43In general, the food's really good here.
10:47Now positioned well offshore and out of sight of the drug cartels,
10:51Berthoff and her crew are poised for action.
10:56The sun's going down, and this is when the action normally picks up as darkness comes.
11:02Always a game of cat and mouse.
11:05We try to use the darkness to our advantage.
11:08They try to use the darkness to their advantage.
11:12Sometimes it's just a little bit of luck that makes it happen.
11:16U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Berthoff is ready to confront drug runners head-on
11:20as they try to smuggle cocaine into America.
11:29U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Berthoff is just off the west coast of Panama.
11:34Her mission is to hunt down and arrest smugglers working for the drug cartels.
11:40But that requires the active cooperation of governments in the area.
11:44A Panamanian patrol boat drops off a naval officer to help coordinate operations
11:49and provide local knowledge in the hunt for drug smugglers.
11:56Good afternoon, Berthoff. This is Miss D, your operational planner,
11:59coming to you from the pilot house, here to brief you on this evening's events.
12:03Ensign Beth Denicola briefs the crew on the night mission ahead.
12:08Once Stryker is airborne, we will be setting the boat lowering detail for the OTH.
12:12That's the plan. Stay classy, Berthoff, and stand by to catch some go-fast.
12:19Under cover of darkness, the ship's helicopter is getting ready
12:22for a dangerous night reconnaissance mission.
12:25With no noon and almost no horizon, the pilots must be focused
12:29and perform at the top of their game.
12:32I would say that any pilot that is taken off on a really, really dark night
12:36with a helicopter whose heart isn't racing should probably quit flying.
12:40Rolling decks and spinning rotor blades can be a lethal combination.
12:44Helicopter control officer Ed Courtway knows that lives depend on him
12:48doing his job properly, especially at night.
12:52Well, there's just obviously the inherent dangers of operating at night
12:56after a long work day, and everybody is tired.
13:00So it's a lot easier for everybody to skip important safety steps,
13:05not do something on their checklist,
13:07and it makes it really easy for a hazardous situation to come up.
13:14With the helicopter airborne, a chase boat is lowered down the side of Berthoff.
13:20Ensign Brock Bayesdal is in charge of tonight's mission.
13:23Now I'm going to take my team, and basically what we're going to do
13:26is we're going to intercept contacts coming out from the beach.
13:29And if we can start a pursuit, we can vector our helicopter in
13:33and vector the cutter in.
13:35There's always butterflies in the stomach, and it's a good thing,
13:38and the whole team feels it.
13:40We come together, we talk about what's going on,
13:42but we're fully equipped, we're well trained, and it's going to be safe and good.
13:48But Berthoff isn't all alone.
13:51Overhead, a Marine patrol aircraft searching for fast-moving targets.
13:56Satellites and other ships are also involved in the search.
14:00It's a complex hunt coordinated thousands of kilometers away in Alameda, California,
14:05by Coast Guard commanders who have the big operational picture.
14:10Berthoff's CIC, or Combat Information Center, is the brain, eyes, and ears of the ship.
14:16It's where information is processed, analyzed, and acted upon.
14:21Andre Montgomery is the air direction controller
14:24and is responsible for guiding the helicopter.
14:30...to the south and get you back on your track line.
14:34This search pattern is designed to detect the drug smugglers
14:39that are pretty much close to shore.
14:41Furthermore, once they get a contact and they sight it,
14:44we're asking some questions to see if it actually fits the profile of a drug smuggler.
14:51So far tonight, no smugglers have been spotted,
14:54and the helicopter is brought back for another dangerous night landing.
14:59The Berthoff actually has one of the larger flight decks of all the Coast Guard cutters.
15:03I'll tell you that taking off and landing during the day is very fun.
15:07Taking off and landing at night is not so much fun.
15:12But just as the chase boat is about to be brought back aboard,
15:15a fast-moving target, a possible drug-running GoFast boat, is spotted,
15:20right in front of Berthoff.
15:22Now, GoFast, GoFast, GoFast.
15:24GoFast, GoFast. Set LE phase two for suspect GoFast.
15:27Set LE phase two for suspect GoFast.
15:30Our OTH is in pursuit of a possible target of interest that's making about 25 to 30 knots.
15:38We could tell it had two outboards. It was a panga-style vessel.
15:43So they're about four miles ahead of us right now.
15:49Captain Prince has engaged the ship's high-speed turbine engine,
15:52but he's relying on Berthoff's small, fast chase boat to stop the suspect vessel.
16:00We're making about 27 knots here on the ship and slowly losing ground.
16:07But the small boat has a visual on him.
16:10They're probably about 600 yards separation right now.
16:15May I show you the time to intercept?
16:19About ten minutes.
16:23They just make a hard turn to port.
16:30With the suspect boat in sight, Berthoff's chase boat turns on its lights.
16:34Boat 1, chart 5-0. Roger. They are off your port bow.
16:40Couple left. Five degrees. Over.
16:43Boat 1, chart. Do you still maintain visual?
16:46Roger. We have visual.
16:49On the bow, Berthoff's gun crews are ready for action.
16:53We currently have a couple .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the bow in case this turns south.
16:59It's a full-on chase.
17:01Berthoff's small boat is in hot pursuit and is closing in on the suspect vessel.
17:12They are dead in the water right now.
17:14We're just standing by for tactical command to give us permission to go aboard.
17:18We have a long side. We have a suspect with their hands on their head.
17:22And we're maintaining vision on the long side of the boat.
17:25Roger.
17:26Chart 5-0, it's Boat 1. There are three people on board.
17:35Berthoff has been able to catch up and pulls alongside her chase boat and the suspect vessel.
17:44Vessel is approximately 28 feet, fiberglass.
17:49Here's Suzuki. 150 horsepower. Outboard.
17:59It's just after 1.20 and, you know, Mama always said, nothing good happens after midnight.
18:04Sure enough, we had a panga speed bias.
18:09We had our small boat in the water, commenced pursuit of this vessel.
18:12They finally brought them to a stop.
18:14No shots fired this time.
18:16Looks like we had a couple Colombians coming all the way up from Colombia to Panama.
18:20A lot of fuel barrels on board.
18:22They said they're looking for some fishermen.
18:24We're working out with our tactical commander right now to get aboard and verify their claim.
18:29It's going to be a long night.
18:31The suspected smugglers and their boat will be held until Panamanian authorities show up to take custody in the morning.
18:39Back on the bridge, Captain Prince is satisfied with the crew's performance.
18:43Good night for the ship. Good night for the Coast Guard.
18:46Good night for our friends in Panama.
18:48Lots of fun. And we're getting paid.
18:53It's just after dawn and the suspects have spent the night under armed Coast Guard watch in the bow of their own boat.
19:00A search of the boat has revealed nothing.
19:03Bertov may have been too late to catch these men red-handed with drugs.
19:09We're thinking this matches the profile of a vessel they saw in Panama.
19:13We've been looking for them for about two days and we nabbed them.
19:16We suspect they may have dumped their load of contraband.
19:19This is what we're out here to do and we're stopping the drugs before they reach America's doorstep.
19:25To nab them down here and disrupt like we did, that's why we do what we do and that's why we leave our families for months at a time.
19:33A Panamanian patrol boat arrives to take the suspected drug smugglers into custody to face trial and possible prison.
19:42Bertov will remain at sea and continue her fight against the drug cartels and the unpredictable forces of Mother Nature.
19:51In the Pacific Ocean, off Columbia and Central America,
19:55U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertov is nearing the halfway point of a dangerous three-month-long anti-drug patrol.
20:02Today, Bertov's damage control teams will be put to the test during a very realistic and terrifying toxic gas drill that starts in the machine shop.
20:13Call and make a control request. You said general emergency for toxic gas in 2-TAC-5-9-TAC-2.
20:19Sensors have detected an invisible and highly flammable gas leak.
20:23Now, gas, gas, gas. Toxic gas has been reported in the D.C. shop, compartment 2. Away rapid response.
20:29Now, gas, gas, gas. Toxic gas has been reported in compartment 2-TAC-5-9-TAC-2.
20:38All hands leave your general emergency building.
20:47I need investigators and on-scene leader.
20:51Boson's mate, second class Jonathan Lee, has the critical job of damage control investigator.
21:02It's his job to find the source of the gas leak.
21:06If this were real, one spark could potentially ignite the entire passageway.
21:11All boundary doors are closed. Dog down to seal in the gas.
21:16Meanwhile, the ship's first aid teams are also being tested.
21:20A crew member has suffered life-threatening injuries and is being brought to the mess hall.
21:26Chief Corpsman Shannon Reck grades the team's performance.
21:30I have an evisceration. Need a, uh, Israeli bandage.
21:35The reason why we picked this area as the primary battle dressing station is, number one, a lot of space.
21:41You can see, look around you, you've got a lot of potential operating table space.
21:45The second chest wound would be considered a paramount life threat, so as you notice, they tackled that first.
21:49You want to stabilize the life threat first.
21:51And then the abdominal wound is grotesque as they can be.
21:54They're really not considered to be an immediate life threat, so it's a secondary wound, so they treated it second.
21:59They learned not only how to treat wounds, but how to prioritize them.
22:04One deck below, Jonathan Lee is now in the machine shop.
22:08The gas leak has been stopped, but the remaining gas needs to be vented quickly.
22:12And it all needs to be done wearing a claustrophobic mask and air tank.
22:20It's pretty uncomfortable. A lot of sweat just pooling in the mask, really.
22:26It's pretty brutal. It's pretty hot. Up and down ladders, back and forth.
22:34But the toxic gas drill isn't over yet.
22:37Special venting pipes with water-driven, non-sparking fans push the air out.
22:43Electric fans are too risky. One spark and everything could explode.
22:51Ready?
22:55Good.
23:13The damage control team has succeeded in venting the deadly toxic gas from the ship.
23:18This time it was just a drill.
23:20But for the crew, these exercises can make the difference between survival and disaster.
23:26It's time to get back to work hunting drug smugglers.
23:32The helicopter is ordered to go on a surveillance mission to look for possible targets.
23:37But an engine warning light keeps the helicopter grounded.
23:41It's a major setback. Bertov's ability to hunt down smugglers is now limited to the small chase boats.
23:47Unfortunately, our helicopter is down right now.
23:50The good news is we have parts being flown into theatre and we expect them to be airdropped tomorrow.
23:56The quicker we can repair that, it could be the difference between a case that's made and a case that gets away.
24:03The tropical heat can create severe thunder and lightning storms that build up very quickly.
24:11Tonight on the bridge, the crew has a front row seat on a spectacular light show.
24:18The weather is severe and potentially dangerous. Captain Prince orders everyone to stay inside.
24:26A pretty good rain storm out here with a whole lot of lightning.
24:29So we've secured all our topside hatches to ensure the ship doesn't take on any water.
24:34But generally speaking, all we can really do is just keep our folks inside the skin of the ship
24:39so they don't run the risk of being struck by anything.
24:42But at 3,600 tons, Bertov is more than able to ride out the severe storm.
24:52It's day 48 of US Coast Guard Cutter Bertov's counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
25:01She's in a stretch of water that's known as Go Fast Alley.
25:05This morning, it's been one rain squall after another.
25:08But a temporary lull in the weather gives the crew a chance to move the disabled helicopter into the hangar.
25:16But then the weather changes. A waterspout, a marine tornado, is spotted nearby.
25:24And it's a big one.
25:27But then the weather changes. A waterspout, a marine tornado, is spotted nearby.
25:35That's a big waterspout. We're going to head inside just to be safe.
25:40Clear the flight deck and close the hangar doors.
25:43Hi, Captain.
25:46We're going to clear the flight deck and close the hangar doors. We're going to approach and squall.
25:50And there's a good waterspout that came out of it. We just strapped the helo back down.
25:54So we're going to get in there, close the hangar doors and make sure everybody's safe until this passes.
25:59And then we'll get the helo in the hangar.
26:01Back on the bridge, Executive Officer Dave Ramaccini gets a better look at the approaching weather system.
26:06This is a batten down the hatches moment.
26:09If you looked at what we're trying to do is traverse the helo into the hangar this morning.
26:14And the best laid plans sometimes foil by Mother Nature.
26:19Below deck, life goes on.
26:21For some of the crew, that includes working towards a university degree while they're at sea.
26:26Today's subject, American history and Henry Ford.
26:30This is the pro-volunteer.
26:32He offered it, he said, I offer it in any color as long as it is black.
26:38Professor Lahir Domenech is the only civilian aboard Berthov.
26:43The transition from a land-based campus to a floating one has not been easy.
26:47Yes, it has been difficult because of the sea sickness, of course.
26:51I wasn't used to that.
26:53I have been learning a lot about the job that the U.S. Coast Guard does.
26:58I had no idea how complicated it was.
27:01And that's very exciting, too.
27:05One deck up and down the hall, the ship's limited space means the machine shop doubles as the barber shop.
27:12Machinery technician 3rd Class Tristan Perkins is Berthov's unofficial barber.
27:17Well, my last buddy, Scott, cut hair for everybody.
27:23And I helped him out one day.
27:25And people were like, oh, you cut hair, too?
27:28We depend on somebody like Tristan to volunteer to cut hair in the evenings.
27:33And then we try to get down here if you're not on watch.
27:36And like everything in the military, there are specifications and regulations.
27:40Can't touch the ears, got to be tapered to the back of the neck.
27:45I'm sure the official specification is about 300 pages long or something.
27:55What do you want on top, Chief?
27:57I don't know, surprise me.
28:02The final touch is self-service with the shop vacuum.
28:07Oh, I just made a bald spot, I'm sorry, Chief.
28:14Operations Specialist Andre Montgomery shares his quarters with five others.
28:19On other Coast Guard ships, it can be up to 20.
28:22This is our birthing area right here.
28:24These staterooms aboard the Berthov are the most luxurious I've seen.
28:28They're awesome. They've got a lot of space in them.
28:31We've got computers for each person, basically, for in here.
28:34It's awesome. I love it.
28:36And here's where I live, the coveted bottom rack.
28:39You see it has the most space down here.
28:43Mrs. Holloway, actually.
28:46Aboard Berthov, portholes have been replaced by flat-screen TVs.
28:51Well, this is essentially our view of the outside world for everybody on the crew.
28:57Right now you're looking at the forward-looking infrared feed
29:00from our Combat Information Center.
29:03We're basically looking around us,
29:06just trying to identify anyone who's out there.
29:10Up top, the weather has cleared
29:12and the disabled helicopter is brought into the hangar.
29:16A new part is expected soon.
29:18It should be delivered by plane and parachute in just a few hours.
29:23The gunners also take advantage of the weather
29:26and hold a live-fire exercise on the bow with the .50 caliber machine guns.
29:34GUNSHOTS
29:42With the live-fire exercise over, it's back to the mission at hand.
29:47On the bridge, the watch crew scan the horizon for drug smugglers.
29:51This particular watch has an unofficial title.
29:54We call it Chick Watch right now because we're all female on the bridge.
30:00When I first reported last year, we only had a handful of women.
30:05We've had a lot more rotate through since I've been here.
30:08We've been increasing in numbers and slowly taking over.
30:14Not completely.
30:17Aboard Berthoff, women make up 20% of the ship's crew.
30:21There's a lot of women on this boat
30:23and I'd say they work just as hard as the men here do.
30:26And they do just as good of a job as the men do.
30:29Chick Watch continues.
30:34Berthoff is now heading even further south,
30:37towards a target near the Galapagos Islands.
30:40A maritime patrol aircraft has spotted a possible drug-running mothership.
30:48The American Coast Guard cutter Berthoff is off the west coast of Panama
30:52and waiting for a special delivery.
30:56This P-3 Orion patrol aircraft has flown thousands of kilometres
31:00to airdrop a desperately needed spare part for Berthoff's helicopter.
31:04A chase boat is in the water and ready to recover the package.
31:09The plane makes a low 90-metre run downwind of the ship
31:13and makes the drop.
31:19Splashdown and a successful recovery.
31:27With the spare part back aboard,
31:29the flight mechanics don't waste any time replacing the broken equipment
31:32and getting the helicopter ready for action.
31:38For the last 24 hours, Berthoff's land-based commanders in the United States
31:43have been steering her towards a very suspicious fishing vessel.
31:46A possible drug-running mothership that's been spotted
31:49towing two pangas, or go-fasts.
31:52The fishing boat fits the profile of a smuggling vessel.
31:57By nightfall, Berthoff is primed and ready.
32:02The helicopter is back in the game.
32:04The chase boat crews are on standby.
32:07Sure enough, just before ten o'clock, it's showtime.
32:12Now, go-fast, go-fast, go-fast.
32:14Set LE phase two for suspect go-fast.
32:17Set LE phase two for suspect go-fast.
32:19Set flight quarter condition one.
32:21The OTH is the pursuit boat, the FBC is the support boat.
32:25All LE personnel muster at the LE locker.
32:28UDGM, lay to the small arms locker.
32:30The chase boat teams rush to the small arms locker
32:32for weapons and night-vision gear.
32:36Ensign Brock Faisdell will be leading one of the boat teams.
32:40Basically, we have a fishing vessel out in front of us.
32:43It's got two small go-fast-like vessels in tow.
32:48We're going to approach them fast and hard.
32:50Try to get them before they run.
32:54Everything's going to be in play.
32:55The helo's going to be in play, both boats and the cutter itself.
33:04Lieutenant Junior Grade Raphael Bacchie
33:07will be in charge of the actual boarding.
33:10Right now, I'm going to load my weapon.
33:1212 rounds for ammunition.
33:19My primary target is to board the actual fishing vessel
33:22and quickly gain control.
33:25The crew on board, I'm bilingual,
33:28so that's where they're putting me.
33:30And since I'm armed, that's my primary target.
33:33I feel like I'm already just climbing, climbing,
33:36climbing over the edge of the rocket.
33:38It'll hit its peak once we actually launch.
33:41I'm ready to go.
33:49Both chase boat teams launch
33:51and race toward the target.
34:05The helicopter is cleared for take-off,
34:07and it too heads toward the target.
34:10It will hold back in support until the chase boats are close.
34:18In the Combat Information Centre,
34:20Captain Prince coordinates the pursuit of the TOI,
34:23or Target of Interest.
34:42We're tracking the target.
34:44We've got the cutter in gas turbine mode,
34:47and we can increase our speed to about 26 knots,
34:50so we can also close the target at a high rate of speed.
34:54Operations Officer Steve Adler talks to the chase boats.
34:58Our boats are en route to the fishing vessel,
35:01and once they get close to the fishing vessel,
35:03we'll vector in our helo,
35:05and we'll simultaneously try to intercept it.
35:08The element of surprise is what we're trying to gain the most here.
35:12And ADCTA will make sure that the helo remains covert
35:15and we're to light them up.
35:18On the bridge, the drama of the chase continues to unfold.
35:22One of the chase boats is in trouble
35:24after smashing into a large wave and damaging the hull.
35:35The sponson is the orange rubber part of the boat.
35:39It affects their stability slightly,
35:41but for now they're still in the fight.
35:44Despite the damage, both of Berthoff's chase boats
35:47are closing in on the suspect fishing vessel.
35:50Back in the Combat Information Centre, everyone is on edge.
36:00Berth 1's going overt.
36:07OK, let's look at 03. Where's 03?
36:10Let's have the helo go overt.
36:13All right.
36:14The helicopter reveals itself by turning on its powerful searchlight,
36:18and it appears the suspect ship is caught by surprise.
36:27With weapons at the ready, the Coast Guard boarding team
36:30orders the crew on the suspect vessel to gather on the bow
36:33with their hands on their heads.
36:35We suspect this vessel is smuggling cocaine.
36:37It matches the profile. It has a lot of people on the boat.
36:41It's got 11 crew for a 45, 50-foot vessel with two pangas in tow
36:46with pretty brand-new 75-horsepower outboards,
36:49so it definitely matches the profile of a smuggling vessel.
36:52Authorities have given permission to board
36:55and inspect the fishing vessel.
36:58In dangerous rolling seas, the Coast Guard team
37:01jumps aboard to begin the search for drugs.
37:04It will be a long and exhausting search.
37:07Ion scan wipes are used to detect any traces of cocaine.
37:12While the boarding team searches for drugs on the suspect vessel,
37:15the damaged chase boat is brought back aboard for repair.
37:25Basically, the orange thing on the side that keeps us afloat,
37:28we call it a sponson, we hit a hard wall.
37:31It came up and just landed real hard,
37:33and then we instantly noticed it had popped off,
37:36and immediately it's going through our minds.
37:38We're going to sink. This is what keeps us afloat.
37:40So our engineer on board assessed the damage,
37:42started looking down at the hull, making sure that we're still good.
37:46He gave the A.O.K. to continue on,
37:48said we'd be good for a continuing pursuit,
37:51and we continued on to intercept the fishing vessel.
37:55The standby boat is lowered into the net
37:59The standby boat is lowered into the notch
38:01and sent to the fishing vessel with a fresh boarding team
38:04to continue the search for drugs.
38:10It's now well into the next day,
38:12and 12 long hours since the suspect fishing vessel was stopped,
38:16it's been discovered that some of the crew members
38:18have prior drug smuggling convictions.
38:21The smugglers are adept at their trade,
38:24so they have come up with intelligent or ingenious ways
38:29to try and hide the contraband,
38:31so always the possibility that they detected us
38:34as we were coming up from Asturnavum last night
38:37and dumped it over the side.
38:40Even the two pangas are searched carefully
38:43for hidden compartments and drugs.
38:45I mean, a lot of things just don't add up here,
38:48but we can't find any additional product, if you will, as of yet,
38:53whether there was counter-detection and possible jettison prior to arrival,
38:57we'll never know.
38:59The chase boats return to Berthov.
39:02Any drugs are now probably resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean,
39:06drugs that will never reach the shores of North America.
39:11We're bringing everybody up to speed on the case we're embarked on.
39:14Right now, our boarding teams are recommended
39:16we're boarding complete on this.
39:18With that, we'll gather our teams and head off for the evening.
39:22Thanks for your efforts. Great job, all hands, today.
39:25Making it happen.
39:29Coast Guard Cutter Berthov is just a few hours away from Costa Rica
39:33and a few days of liberty for the crew.
39:35We're going to restock our fuel, we're going to restock our food,
39:38and after a few days of rest, we'll be right back at it.
39:41On the flight deck, the crew has assembled.
39:46Ship company, fall together round.
39:49Good afternoon, shipmates.
39:53Great afternoon on board Berthov.
40:00We're going to take some time this afternoon
40:02to recognise a few shipmates.
40:04Jonathan Lee's small boat qualification is about to become official.
40:08BM2 Lee, front and centre.
40:10BM2 Lee, front and centre.
40:21Again, terrific job with the qualifications on the special-purpose craft,
40:24law enforcement, as well as the over-the-rising rib.
40:29U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard,
40:31this certifies that BM2 Jonathan S. Lee
40:34has demonstrated superior abilities in both seamanship and leadership
40:37and is hereby qualified as a Cox in the U.S. Coast Guard.
40:40Given this 18th day of October, Captain John F. Prince commanding.
40:46Just a reminder, everybody, we're in readiness condition,
40:50got to be ready to rock and roll.
40:52We do have some air coverage tonight,
40:55flying on our behalf, so we'll have the helo in ready status as well.
40:59But again, speed of the system, 150-knot aircraft,
41:02as well as the small boats, we'll get the job done once again.
41:06So well done.
41:14Life at sea requires patience.
41:16The pier in Golfito, a small port on Costa Rica's west coast,
41:20was supposed to be free this morning,
41:22but plans and the weather have a way of changing.
41:27We were supposed to come in six, seven hours ago.
41:29It was nice and sunny then.
41:31The clouds have rolled in and we get a taste of San Francisco,
41:34which is the ship's home port, it seems.
41:36It's like San Francisco without the chill.
41:38Restricted visibility, we're about four miles visibility.
41:44So as you can hear, we have the fog signals sounding.
41:47We've been waiting for this motor tanker to clear the pier.
41:50Looks like it's finally outbound,
41:52so we're about four miles from the pier,
41:54so it shouldn't be too long now.
41:57Berthoff is now approaching the narrow channel
42:00just outside of the port.
42:02A local harbour pilot is aboard for the final leg.
42:06By nightfall, Berthoff finally makes it pierside
42:10and the crew can take a break from chasing smugglers.
42:15Well, we're pulling in for a port call, take a few days off.
42:19I believe it's well-deserved for everyone on the board.
42:22We're going to give them some time off
42:24while we're in port here in Costa Rica
42:26and be right back to it here in a few days.
42:29But the mission is far from over.
42:31Just a few days later, they're back on patrol,
42:34and Berthoff gets lucky.
42:36Go fast, go fast, go fast.
42:38Set LE phase 2 for suspect go fast.
42:40Set LE phase 2 for suspect go fast.
42:42A go fast is spotted and the ship's helicopter gives chase.
42:46The boat tries to evade the helicopter
42:48and starts to dump packages of suspected contraband overboard.
42:52After it refuses to stop,
42:54the chopper crew shoots out the boat's motors.
42:57Berthoff's chase boats complete the bust,
43:00netting three smugglers and 1,000 kilos of cocaine worth $31 million.
43:06We're out here doing the job day, night, rain, shine,
43:09no matter what the weather is,
43:11and we'll be doing everything we can
43:13to execute the Coast Guard's missions here at sea.
43:16U.S. Coast Guard cutter Berthoff,
43:19a 21st century ship on the knife edge of U.S. homeland security,
43:25chasing smugglers and narco-terrorists
43:28on the world's oceans.
43:58U.S. Coast Guard