MC1 Matthew Bash Navy and Coast Guard Sailors throw bags of illegal narcotics over the side. During the boarding the team seized and disposed of four tons of hashish.

St. Mary’s County resident Rear Adm. Scott Sanders is commander of Combined Task Force 151, of which USS Anzio is the flagship. Sanders, a member of the Navy reserve, is a vice president for Wyle Laboratories Aerospace Group in Lexington Park, and on temporary duty for the counter piracy mission. He took command of CTF 151 Aug. 16.

The drug-laden skiff was located approximately 170 miles southwest of Salalah, Oman when it was spotted traveling at a high speed. Following a brief chase, the skiff was boarded by Anzio’s visit, board, search, and seizure team, including officers from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. The drugs were thrown overboard and destroyed.

The drugs seized by naval forces could have helped to fund the insurgency fighting coalition forces in Afghanistan as well as contribute to instability in the region.

‘‘The seizure of these drugs takes money out of the hands of those financing terrorists in the region,” said Sanders. ‘‘Yesterday these Sailors were hunting pirates; today they have sent a message to all would-be smugglers that we won’t tolerate pirates or drug traffickers in these waters.”

Naval Forces assigned to the Combined Maritime Forces have seized more than 22 tons of narcotics during 2009, highlighting the continual presence in the region and the commitment to creating and maintaining a lawful maritime order. In 2008, CMF forces seized more than 53 tons of narcotics.

Anzio is the flagship for CTF 151, and has been operating in the region for five months. CTF 151 is a multinational task force established in Jan. 2009. It conduct counter piracy operations under a mission-based mandate to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security, and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.