MANAMA, Bahrain – From Nov 28 to Dec 12, Combined Task Force 150 carried out Focused Operation (FO) CHARRAS, designed to further develop the Combined Maritime Forces’ understanding of its vast Area of Responsibility (AOR), spanning over two million square miles. 

FO CHARRAS brought together Canadian, French, Indian, Pakistani, and U.S. naval and air assets to demonstrate a multi-national presence at sea and worked together to counteract flows of illicit narcotics and products in the Indian Ocean. 

The operation culminated in a successful interdiction of 174 kilograms of heroin by the US Coastguard Sentinel-class fast response cutter, USCGC Glenn Harris. This event marks the ninth time CTF 150 assets have seized illegal narcotics at sea since the French took command in July 2023. In previous operations, CTF ships seized more than 5,933 kilograms of methamphetamine, heroin, and hashish from vessels during interdiction operations. 

Since 2021, Combined Maritime Forces has seized more than $1 billion in illegal drugs while patrolling waters across the Middle East. 

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. CTF 150 focuses on maritime security operations in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The 39-nation naval partnership upholds the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.