United States Coast Guard Justified In Destruction Of Modded Smuggling Freighter, Report Finds

A federal probe has concluded that a freighter destroyed by the U.S. Coast Guard last month while leaving the Appalachia System was likely tied to a wider smuggling network. Investigators found traces of controlled substances in the wreckage.

Our Analysis: Despite growing instances of criminal activity across the Appalachia System, violent actions like the destruction of the medium-range freight craft, “Bowhead”, remain rare, and typically follow extended surveillance and investigation.

The report noted the Bowhead’s erratic maneuvers prior to its destruction, along with several after-market and illicit modifications that forced the responding Coast Guard cutter into employing lethal force.