A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J Super Hercules spots a low-profile submarine hundreds of miles offshore and vectors a cutter-borne MH-65 Dolphin to intercept. What begins as a faint radar/IR return becomes a precision containment and boarding in building seas. We walk through the real tactics: wide-area search with a 360° surface-search radar and Minotaur mission system; overhead thermal confirmation; helicopter arrival, warning-shot procedures, and fuel-time management; cutter launch of a RHIB using controlled collision; and a safe, compliant boarding. Along the way, we break down how cartel protection boats probe standoff ranges, how crews maintain evidence integrity at sea, and why low-profile vessels are hard to find but not impossible to stop. No politics, just an operational deep-dive into sensors, flight profiles, boat handling, and the human decision-making that turns “contact” into “case closed.” If you love real maritime interdiction, air, sea, and small-boat teams working as one, this is your episode. #coastguard #cartel #beyondmilitary