Today, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Saskatoon and Yellowknife returned to their home port of Esquimalt, British Columbia following their recent deployment on Operation CARIBBE.

“I’m proud of the work carried out by the sailors who took part in Operation CARIBBE on HMC Ships Saskatoon and Yellowknife these past three months. Their contribution to this US-led counter-narcotics operation in the East Pacific Ocean has ensured that approximately 872 kg of cocaine will not make it to our streets and harm Canadians.”

—   Lieutenant-Commander Nadia Shields, Task Force Commander 

• HMCS Saskatoon and HMCS Yellowknife deployed with 82 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and 14 USCG LEDET personnel onboard, and spent 147 days at sea during Operation CARIBBE. 

• The crews of these vessels travelled around 33,874 nautical miles, and visited four countries during their patrols in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

• Operation CARIBBE began in November 2006. In October 2010, it expanded with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Canada. The MOU allows USCG LEDET teams to operate from Canadian warships.

• The CAF have conducted Operation CARIBBE since 2006 with successive deployments of Royal Canadian Navy ships and Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft. Over the past fifteen years, the CAF has contributed to the disruption or seizure of more than 120 tonnes of cocaine.

Associated links

• Royal Canadian Navy Facebook
• HMCS Saskatoon Twitter
• HMCS Saskatoon Facebook
• HMCS Yellowknife Twitter
• HMCS Yellowknife Facebook
• Canadian Armed Forces Operations Facebook

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone:  613-904-3333
Email:  mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca