SECURITY, SURVEILLANCE THEIR CALL TO DUTY

COOS BAY - On a dark February night last winter, the 100-foot Western Wind,
a Canadian fishing vessel, was making its way toward the Strait of Juan de
Fuca with a fleet of about a dozen tuna trawlers headed in from the open sea.

Aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Orcas, tension permeated every corner of
the vessel as crew members kept their eyes glued to the radar screen and on
the waters around them, trying to locate the suspected drug smuggler.

The 110-foot Orcas, which is based in Coos Bay, was joined by the cutters
Cowslip from Astoria and Osprey from Port Townsend, Wash. Using a textbook
pincer technique - each coming from a different direction - they eventually
found the Western Wind and stopped it 68 miles southwest of Cape Alava.

The Coast Guardsmen and other federal agents on board that night hit the
jackpot. They found 101 bales of cocaine in a forward hold, concealed in
packages containing Colombia sugar labels. They arrested five men whose
cases are pending in Canadian courts.

The bails weighed in excess of 5,500 pounds. The Coast Guard estimated the
street value of the drugs at more than $60 million. Lt. j.g. Gregg Casad,
the Orcas' executive officer, said the shipment was apparently headed for
Canada, although the ultimate destination was unknown.

Coast Guard officials said it was the largest-ever cocaine seizure in the
Pacific Northwest. The 16-member Orcas crew and others who participated in
the operation recently received the Coast Guard's special operations
service ribbon.

A painted representation of the ribbon is displayed on the Orcas'
superstructure, along with other awards the cutter has received since it
was commissioned in 1989.

No one from the Orcas boarded the Western Wind. Rather, the crew stood
ready to deal with a number of contingencies.

If the ship ran to the south, the Orcas was ready to intercept it. James
Muerls, petty officer 1st class on the Orcas, was concerned the fishing
boat might be towing a small boat with high-speed engines in which the
suspects might try to escape.

A four-man boarding party from the Orcas - carrying sidearms and wearing
bullet-proof vests - was prepared to back up the Osprey boarding crew in
case they met resistance. Another group of Orcas crewmen were ready with
portable pumps and firefighting gear in case the suspects tried to scuttle
the boat or set it afire.

Cocaine seized from the fishing vessel Western Wind was hidden in sugar bags.

There are lots of ways that scenario could have played out," Muerls said.
"We were prepared for a lot of different things."

But things went smoothly. The boarding party stayed on board and directed
the Western Wind into Port Angeles, where it and its cargo were seized and
the crew taken into custody.

The Orcas, which had made a high-speed run beginning about noon from the
waters off Newport to the rendezvous scene off the Washington Coast, was
released from the case about midnight.

Casad said the Western Wind case developed from a tip received by Canadian
authorities through a Coast Watch program similar to one sponsored by the
U.S. Coast Guard. The program encourages people in the maritime community
to report suspicious activity that could be related to drug smuggling.

Few such cases turn up in Pacific Northwest waters, Casad said, noting that
the Coast Guard deals with many more drug cases along the coast of Southern
California. He said the Western Wind case is proof, however, that the
Pacific Northwest is not off limits to waterborne drug smugglers.

He said the award and the Orcas' part in the Western Wind case was a
definite morale booster for the crew - many of whom were new to the Coast
Guard.

"I think it's a big deal for them," Casad said. "It's a case that makes you
feel good. You go home (saying) 'I did good. I did something for the
American people. I was able to keep those drugs off the street.' " The
Orcas is one of three Coast Guard cutters based in Oregon, with two larger
ones assigned to Astoria. The Orcas spends most of its time in Oregon
waters, with the crew boarding fishing vessels and checking compliance with
safety and fishing regulations.

The Orcas spends about 120 days a year at sea and also participates in
search and rescue operations - usually cases far offshore that are not
easily handled by coastal motor lifeboat stations.

During fishing boat boardings, Casad said, the crew keeps an eye out for
unusual circumstances that could indicate illegal drug activity.

"A fishing boat with no fishing gear; no catch, but the guy says they've
been gone a month fishing. Things like that that don't mesh in someone's
story," he said.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Orcas and its crew, like much of
the Coast Guard, have been involved in more port security work, escorting
vessels carrying hazardous materials in and out of major ports and helping
maintain a safe distance between civilian boats and U.S. Navy vessels and
installations.

Suspicious situations in coastal waters can be phoned to the Coast Guard on
its toll-free Coast Watch Line, (800) 982-8813, ext. 7170.