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HMCS William Hall contributes to significant seizure of illegal narcotics on Operation CARIBBE

National Defence

News release

June 4, 2025 - Ottawa, Ontario - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

On May 29 and 31, while deployed in support of Operation CARIBBE, His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall and an embarked United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) successfully conducted seizures of more than 1300 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea.

During two separate maritime patrols, multi-role rescue boats were deployed from HMCS William Hall to intercept vessels of interest in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the seizures. These successful interdictions underscore the enduring collaboration and interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and USCG and support- international efforts to prevent the flow of illicit substances into Canada and North America.

Canada's contribution to United States-led Enhanced Counternarcotics Operations under Joint Interagency Task Force South represents an important dimension of our relationship with our ally, the United States, and partners in the region. This collective effort enables us to achieve greater success in making the continent more secure from the threats posed by illicit trafficking and supports broader efforts to enhance regional and continental security.

Quick facts

• Operation CARIBBE is Canada's contribution to the United States-led enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean Sea. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deploy ships and aircraft to the region on a rotational basis to support the multinational mission to suppress drug trafficking in international waters.

• The CAF have provided support to Operation CARIBBE since 2006 and continue to support Operation CARIBBE in 2025 as part of efforts to support the broader United States-led Operation MARTILLO to suppress drug trafficking in international waters.

• In 2010, Canada and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing USCG LEDETs to operate from RCN ships and aircraft during Operation CARIBBE. Embarking USCG LEDETs on RCN ships during Operation CARIBBE allows the CAF to better support this multinational counter-narcotics effort.

• HMCS William Hall is the second RCN ship to deploy on Operation CARIBBE in 2025. HMCS Harry DeWolf departed Halifax on January 26 and returned on March 21 after a successful deployment that resulted in a seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea.