OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 2, 2013) - Today, the Minister of National Defence made the following statement after Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Edmonton; along with a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CP-140 Aurora, assisted the United States Coast Guard in the seizure of more than 1.1 tonnes of cocaine in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

"As Minister of National Defence, I am proud to recognize the hard work of our brave men and women in uniform during Operation CARIBBE. Our sailors, air men and air women, working in partnership with our allies, have helped to keep a significant quantity of illegal narcotics off our streets.

"Once again, the members of our Canadian Armed Forces have conducted themselves with honour and professionalism as they worked to protect the safety and security of Canadian citizens.

"Op CARRIBE has again demonstrated Canada's leadership on the world stage even as we support our interest abroad.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I express our deep gratitude to those involved in the operation and thank them for their continued dedication to safeguarding our wellbeing."