When U.S. Department of Justice attorneys appear in federal court Monday in Eugene, they will argue that Newport Fishermen’s Wives, Lincoln County and the state of Oregon shouldn’t be allowed to interfere in routine and temporary operations as to when,

The extension keeps the search and rescue helicopter in Newport through the start of commercial Dungeness crab season Dec. 16.

Operation Pacific Viper is a joint initiative between the Coast Guard and Navy to combat the influx of drugs into the U.S. (Credit: DHS)

EXCLUSIVE: The Coast Guard seized over 20,000 pounds of cocaine from a go-fast vessel during Operation Pacific Viper, a joint U.S. initiative to counter drug trafficking.

According to Flightradar24, the helicopter, registered as C6038, took off from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, heading towards Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen near Aguadilla, on the northwestern side of the island. The aircrew was ferrying Santa Claus and an elf, or at least people dressed like the holiday favorites, to an event in Aguadilla.

The Coast Guard said it has seized more than 150,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, including a record-breaking bust earlier this month.

Heavy rain continued to fall over parts of the state, prompting rising rivers, road closures, water rescues, and suspension of Amtrak trains between Seattle and Vancouver.

More than 10 inches of rain has fallen in parts of Washington this week as a strong atmospheric river hits the state.