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Leaving San Francisco Bay on 6 July 1989, most of the officers and crew of the USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC- 722) believed they were departing on another long, cold Alaskan patrol. The men and women on board the 378- foot cutter, however, were to begin a law enforcement operation that would take them across the entire Pacific Ocean to the coast of Taiwan, concluding with a well- deserved rest and resupply port call in Yokosuka, Japan.
As the Morgenthau sailed west instead of north, the captain outlined the new mission. A Taiwanese fishing fleet would be transferring 500 tons of illegally caught salmon, worth one and a half million dollars, to a U.S. cargo ship, the Redfin, at a rendezvous point several thousand miles west of San Francisco. Part of a bigger sting operation stretching across the Pacific to Seattle, two National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agents were undercover on board the Redfin to catch the lawbreaking Taiwanese fishermen. Posing as fish buyers, other NMFS agents enticed the kingpin of the illegal salmon trafficking, a Taiwanese businessman who had been advertising and selling salmon worldwide, to Seattle to pick up the cash when the deal was consummated. Fishing for or retaining salmon is illegal for the Taiwanese.
The Morgenthau % part in this caper was to travel undetected to the rendezvous point where she would ensure the safety of the NMFS agents once they made their arrests. The Morgenthau's crew would then board and detain the Taiwanese fishing vessels involved in the illegal activity. Keeping the large, white cutter, with her bright red-and- blue stripes, out of sight was not going to be easy. More than 500 driftnetters were fishing in the region. Whenever fishermen see a cutter, they often radio a warning to others that the Coast Guard is in the area. If they sighted the Morgenthau, the mission would fail.
For 11 days and nights, the cutter steamed under darkened ship, maintaining strict radio silence. Based on intelligence estimates, the Morgenthau traveled well south of the fishing areas, resulting in a trip of more than 3,600 miles. Each day, the officers and crew trained for the final phase of the operation. Using International Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT) and Secure Telephone Unit III, the cutter maintained constant communications with the Pacific Area Operational Commander, who was in continual contact with NMFS Seattle.
After a tense night of ducking numerous fishing vessels, the Morgenthau stopped on 17 July and drifted only 25 miles south of the rendezvous point. The cutter waited at the edge of the fishing fleet for the NMFS agents to make their simultaneous arrests on the high seas and in Seattle. That morning, the weather cooperated with reduced visibility and heavy fog. The Morgenthau remained in her stealth mode, staying outside radar range and employing electronic surveillance measures (ESM) and direction-finding equipment. Pilots flew the deployed Coast Guard
HH-65 helicopter covertly and identified three radar contacts within 12 miles of the proposed rendezvous point. This turned out to be the helo’s last flight as it experienced a major engine casualty upon landing that grounded it for the remainder of the operation. At this point, the cutter had not received a firm position on the Redfin in four days, and no one could positively say the cargo vessel was one of the contacts. Based on last known position and intentions, however, the evidence pointed to one of these three.
At first, it appeared the bust would go down much sooner than planned, but hopes quickly faded as the set-up got back on track. Another night of waiting went by.
On 1 August, a joint U.S. Coast Guard and Taiwanese law enforcement boarding of the Taiwanese Fishing vessel No. I Sung Citing uncovered 100 tons of illegally caught salmon. The Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau (WHEC-722) traveled 6,500 miles during this law enforcement operation.
Early the next morning, a Coast Guard C-130 out of Hawaii, staged in Midway, took off to be on scene at first light to videotape the event. It was already airborne when another call came through about additional delays. A gamble was taken to recall the C-130, refuel, and send it back. Hopefully, it would arrive on scene at the right time if the bust went down later that afternoon. With the C-130’s return on deck, the pilot was briefed on the details of the operation, learning the C-130 was to substitute for the helicopter as the covert surveillance platform. Coordination was arranged between the aircraft and the cutter.
As money negotiations unfolded many miles away in Seattle, fishing vessels loaded with salmon came alongside
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Proceedings / Naval Review 1990
•980s, the Coast Guard was forced to Play what has turned out to be a remarkably successful game of catch up.
■n the same vein, the Coast Guard did n°t actively seek responsibilities for the "iterdiction of migrants. It has turned out to be one of the most successful of federal programs, saving the lives of thousands of the hemisphere’s poor each year and avoiding costs for illegal immigrant support counted in the billions of dollars. Happily for the nation, this retiring policy posture in law enforcement was replaced by one that sought opportunities to keep the Coast Guard out in front of this major mission.
When the Coast Guard did try to set a new course, it seemed to follow an errant compass. The reorganization of the service and introduction of area commanders as meaningful, realtime operational
. By Captain Fred Ames, U.S. Coast Guard, and Ensign Pete Hatch, U.S. Coast Guard
*he Reclfin, and samples were inspected. After more than 30 hours of anticipation, an INMARSAT call came early that afternoon to stand by. All morning, the Morgenihau slowly worked closer to the rendezvous point, localizing the position of the Reclfin by ESM, using what they assumed was the cargo vessel’s radar emission signature.
Just prior to receiving the standby call, the Morgenthau obtained her own radar contact at 12 miles, and it correlated with the ESM contact. Normally, Taiwanese fishing Vessels (100-150 feet in length) are detected at only eight 0r nine miles. The larger Reclfin (180 feet), with possible Vessels nested alongside, was expected to be seen from •arther away than ten miles.
While waiting for the final call to move in, we noted a high-speed radar contact. The C-130 had arrived! Cov- f%, the C-130 marked on top of our radar contact as a group” of vessels. With the captain ordering radio silence broken at the last minute, the C-130 pilot was ques- honed as to exactly what he observed. “Definitely a few Wssels nested together," he replied. The Morgenthau now knew exactly where to pounce. With visibility less than Slx miles, anything less than a pinpoint location would t-'ause a complete mission failure, jeopardizing the lives of the undercover agents.
Rnally, the INMARSAT call came from Pacific Area: The Taiwanese businessman and an accomplice were ar- t^sted just moments ago in a Seattle bank vault with their hands on the money—go do it!”
The Morgenthau had had her gas turbines on line since •he standby call. She quickly accelerated to Hank speed aild charged through the fog. As she closed rapidly at utmost one-half mile per minute, the undercover agents Ufrested a Taiwanese captain, a “deal maker” from another vessel, and one interpreter, who were all on board •he Reclfin. At about six miles, the Morgentliau's lookout r°Ported the the Reclfin's blue hull and white superstructure. Two Taiwanese vessels were within 100 yards of the US. ship, probably trying to figure out how to get their People back. The C-130 passed 200 feet above the vessels to begin videotaping, taking the Taiwanese completely by SUrprise. Abandoning their people, the two vessels began
flee, and the remainder of the fleet scattered. A board- 'n8 team from the Morgenthau soon arrived at the Reclfin. k[1]nce aboard, they provided protection for the NMFS ugents and helped guard the prisoners. The time from the cull to go in, until the cutter’s small boat and boarding Party were in the water en route to the Reclfin, was just 29 Minutes.
With the boarding team in control of the Redfin, she motored after one escaping vessel while the Morgenthau chased down another, the No. 1 Sung Citing. For several days, the Morgenthau and the Redfin pursued the fishermen who sailed with their running lights extinguished ^hile changing course erratically in the darkness. One fleeing vessel deliberately struck the Redfin and threw nets into her path. Down to minimal food supplies, running low on fuel, and pressed to get the arrestees arraigned in a U.S. court, the Reclfin was forced to break off the chase. The Morgenthau, however, continued while the State Department attempted to persuade the Taiwanese government to allow the Coast Guard to board the tleeing vessel.
After days of political discussions with U.S. officials and a message from Secretary James Baker as the Morgenthau approached its coast, the Taiwanese government finally agreed to a joint U.S. Coast Guard and Taiwanese law enforcement boarding of the fishing vessel. On 1 August, two weeks after the bust and 3,300 miles later, four holds full of about 100 tons of illegally caught salmon were videotaped on board the Taiwanese fishing vessel. Taiwanese law enforcement officials then took the fisherman and their ship into custody.
The cutter was now 40 miles off the coast of Taiwan and more than 5,600 miles from her home in the San Francisco Bay area. During the 26-day operation, the Morgenthau had depleted many of its supplies. More importantly, fuel was getting low, and she was riding high in the water. Being lightly loaded in the middle of the typhoon capital of the world is not a desirable situation. The Morgenthau arranged a last-minute underway replenishment with a U.S. Navy oiler.
Before heading to Alaska to resume the enforcement of U.S. fisheries laws, the cutter headed toward Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan, to resupply. With a large typhoon closing from the south, the Morgenihau sprinted for two days on gas turbines, arriving safely. Without delay, personnel began preparing the ship for the oncoming typhoon as Naval Forces, Japan, set their highest typhoon alert. After 36 hours, the sun came out, and the Morgentliau's, men and women received a well-earned three-day rest.
During the operation, the Morgenthau had traveled more than 6,500 miles in the third case in almost as many months, of discovering the Taiwanese illegally taking salmon. As stated by the Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, “It is easy to discuss tactics of coordination and deception around a conference table. It is quite another thing to put them into practice thousands of miles at sea.” The high seas driltnet fishing agreement was subsequently signed with Taiwan on 24 August 1989.
Captain Ames is currently commanding officer of the USCGC Munro (WHEC-724), recently recommissioned after an extensive Fleet Renovation and Modernization (FRAM). Simultaneously, he decommissioned the Morgenthau for her FRAM. He has served nine years on 378-foot high-endurance cutters.
Ensign Hatch graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in May 1989. He has served as a deck watch officer on the cutters Morgenthau and Munro.
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