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Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Squadron, HITRON, aircrews train for counter-drug and homeland security operations from Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 23, 2026. HITRON, which deploys armed helicopters aboard Coast Guard cutters to detect, deter and interdict illicit maritime trafficking, recently achieved its 1,000th interdiction, underscoring its mission proficiency and the sustained operational demand for airborne use-of-force capabilities. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/Released) Download the video here: DVIDS - Video - Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Squadron: 1,000 and Beyond
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On Patrol
Over open ocean, a bright orange MH-65 Dolphin streaks above the waves. On board, two pilots and a precision marksman are locked onto the wake of a fleeing go-fast boat. As the smugglers below dump bales of cocaine and throttle forward, the crew of the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction and Tactical Squadron—HITRON—are calm and ready. On command, the precision marksman above fires warning shots. When the vessel doesn’t stop, he fires again to disable the engines. Once the boat comes to a stop, a Coast Guard boarding team from a nearby cutter moves in. It’s a scene that played out multiple times over the last 12 months, contributing to HITRON’s most successful year on record. In 2025, the unit tripled its annual drug seizures, reached its 1,000th successful interdiction, and stopped a single vessel carrying more than 10,000 kilograms of cocaine – the largest seizure in its history.
A life-saving mission
HITRON, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is the Coast Guard’s only airborne use-of-force unit. CAPT Dan Broadhurst, HITRON’s Commanding Officer, has spent much of his career with the unit. He sees the mission as an extension of the Coast Guard’s humanitarian role.
“It’s fundamentally a life-saving mission,” he explains. “Every single kilo we seize has got 832 lethal doses in it. And even if you think that is a high number, if you rounded down to simply one human life saved per kilo of cocaine… that's 10,000 lives in a single interdiction, sometimes 20,000 lives in a single interdiction.”
By stopping drugs at sea, HITRON crews prevent drugs from getting into the country—keeping communities safer and reducing the risks faced by local law enforcement.
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 Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) aircrew personnel embarked aboard Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) display airborne use of force weapons from behind three bullet-damaged outboard engine cowlings in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Aug. 28, 2025. On Aug. 25, HITRON used airborne use of force to stop the non-compliant vessel, marking the unit’s 1,000th drug interdiction since the unit’s inception in 1999, which resulted in Midgett crew members seizing approximately 3,606 pounds of suspected cocaine worth an estimated $46 million and apprehending six suspected narco-traffickers. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
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What a helicopter brings
HITRON units deploy aboard Coast Guard cutters for weeks at a time. When a suspicious vessel is spotted, the helicopter launches with its crew. From the air, the crew has a clear view of the situation and can act quickly, stopping the vessel and then providing overwatch to Coast Guard boarding teams.
“What a helicopter brings to the drug interdiction mission is stability, visibility, reconnaissance,” says Broadhurst, “and the safest way to disable these vessels at high speed on the open ocean.”
New technology—such as long-endurance drones and advanced cutters—has made the mission even more effective, allowing crews to track smugglers for hours before moving in.
Precision under pressure
One of the most unique roles at HITRON is the Precision Marksman-Aviation (PM-A). These are highly trained aircrew marksman use precision rifles for marksmanship and machine guns for area-fire. Petty Officer 1st Class Taylor Wolf, a PM-A, says the job is demanding but incredibly rewarding.
“We're shooting from an aerial platform, which is very different than anywhere else,” he said. “Whether that means completing warning shots with my mounted area-fire weapon or using my precision fire weapons to disable the engines of these vessels.”
Wolf joined HITRON with only a basic training level of firearms experience. When he isn’t deployed on cutters, Wolf takes up the mantle of instructor, where he helps prepare and train others to take on one of the Coast Guard’s most challenging missions.
“As someone who had little to no shooting experience, HITRON does a tremendous job at getting us to the point where we're able to make these complex shots and precise shots,” says Wolf. “The [HITRON] training program does a great job at catering to each person's shooting needs.”
A demanding role
Getting to HITRON isn’t simple. The unit attracts highly motivated aviators and enlisted members from across the Coast Guard and even from other services. LT Andy Gilliam, a former Army Blackhawk pilot, joined the Coast Guard through the Direct Commission Aviator program and found a home at HITRON. He recalls his first deployment with the USCG, which coincided with the 1,000th HITRON interdiction.
“This is my first case. I just got certified. I'm pretty stoked about it. I'm using everything that I learned here at HITRON over the past year and a half,” says Gilliam. “And, as soon as we show up on station, we see the vessel. The vessel sees us, they start kicking contraband overboard, and they take off.”
A family forged at sea
Deployments can be tough… weeks at sea, long nights, and holidays spent away from home. But those shared experiences create a tight‑knit community.
“Those late nights, [those] early mornings... that breeds camaraderie and family”, says Broadhurst. “And you all know what you've been through.”
Many HITRON members return for second or even third tours, a testament to the mission and the people. It becomes more than a job; it becomes a calling. As HITRON continues to grow, evolve, and attract new members, one thing remains constant: their commitment to protecting American shores by stopping threats long before they reach our coast.
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