The destroyer USS Chung-Hoon has made her second major narcotics bust in a month in the Gulf of Aden. On January 24, her visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team discovered and seized 4.7 tonnes of hashish during a flag verification boarding. 

The suspect vessel, a wooden dhow, was determined to be stateless during the boarding. In keeping with standard practice on the high seas, the vessel and its crew were allowed to depart after the narcotics were confiscated.

It is the second such interdiction that the destroyer has completed within a month. The Chung-Hoon seized over 5,000 kilograms of hashish from a dhow in the same region on Dec. 27, 2018.

“What I’m most proud of is the synergy between our information, operations and boarding teams that allowed us to complete the mission,” said Cmdr. Brent Jackson, commanding officer of the Chung-Hoon. “This crew was on station, ready to roll at sunrise to complete the task of interdicting contraband."

The Chung-Hoon is on patrol in the Gulf of Aden with the amphib USS Fort McHenry, and interdicting illicit drug shipments into Yemen and Somalia is a part of her mission. The proceeds from these smuggling opperations often fund terrorism and other illegal activities, according to the Navy. A large share of the world's hashish supply originates in Afghanistan, and the Taliban is among the groups involved in its production and sale. 

The USS Chung-Hoon is named after Rear Adm. Chung-Hoon, a decorated commander in WWII and the Korean War. He was also the first admiral of Chinese-Hawaiian ancestry in the U.S. Navy.