MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51) assisted its embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 101 March 21 in the capture of Jose Miguel Battle, the suspected leader of an organized crime outfit, while he was aboard a cruise ship in the central Caribbean.
The U.S. Department of Justice requested the Coast Guard’s assistance in capturing Battle after 21 members of the violent crime family, including Battle’s father, were rounded up March 18 by federal and local agencies in an operation coordinated by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida after federal indictments were issued for them. Four of those indicted remained at large, including Battle. Authorities feared that he would be able to flee and avoid prosecution if he were not taken into custody before the ship’s next port call in Costa Rica.
With the close cooperation of the Celebrity Summit’s captain, parent company Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines, and approval of the ship’s state of registry, the Bahamas, an operation was quickly put together to allow for the safe detention and removal of Battle.
Shortly after midnight, TSG was directed to rendezvous with the cruise ship Celebrity Summit to serve the arrest warrant. When in proximity, Gates established bridge-to-bridge contact with the cruise ship and coordinated LEDET embarkation of Summit.
At approximately 3:30 a.m., the LEDET team went aboard Celebrity Summit and briefly met with the ship’s captain and security force. After confirming the location of the suspect, the Coast Guard boarding team was able to safely and silently secure Battle and transported him by small boat back to Thomas S. Gates at about 5:15 a.m. |