USS Ralph Johnson Conducts Maritime Interdiction in North Arabian Sea

07 December 2020

From Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs

The guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), deployed to U.S. Fifth Fleet and operating in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), interdicted a shipment of more than 2,000lbs (900kgs) of suspected narcotics from a stateless dhow in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

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NORTH ARABIAN SEA - The guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), deployed to U.S. Fifth Fleet and operating in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), interdicted a shipment of more than 2,000lbs (900kgs) of suspected narcotics from a stateless dhow in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) pose with seized narcotics following a visit, board, search, and seizure operation in support of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

A Sailor assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) arranges narcotics seized during a visit, board, search, and seizure operation in support of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) seal bags of narcotics seized during a visit, board, search, and seizure operation in support of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

This seizure, conducted in direct support of CMF’s Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, marks the fourth CMF drugs seizure since October. The narcotics are currently in U.S. custody awaiting analysis. To mitigate the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, the boarding team undertook carefully executed precautionary measures during and after the boarding, to include decontamination of all seized contraband.

Ralph Johnson initially identified a dhow loitering without power in international waters. When the ship approached to determine if the dhow required assistance, they failed to produce flag registration documentation. A subsequent search discovered the narcotics.

CMF is a multinational maritime partnership which exists to counter illicit non-state actors in international waters, promoting security, stability and prosperity in the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. CTF 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations, ensuring legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats. CTF 150 is currently led by the Royal Saudi Naval Force, the second time the country’s Navy has led the task force.

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