Groton performed weather picket duty in the Atlantic until 15 November 1945 when she returned to Boston for transfer to the United States Coast Guard.
Serving the Coast Guard on loan, Groton again was assigned to weather duty off Argentia until decommissioning on 25 September at New Orleans, Louisiana.
Turned over to the State Department for disposal, she was sold to the Government of Colombia on 26 March 1947, where she served as in the Colombian Navy as ARC Almirante Padilla (FG 11).
After refitting in San Diego, and a joint U.S.-Colombian exercise at Pearl Harbor, Almirante Padilla joined the 7th Fleet's Task Force 95 on 8 May 1951, and was assigned to patrol duties on the west coast of Korea.
Almirante Padilla's tour of duty ended on 19 January 1952, when she sailed to Yokosuka, where she was relieved by her sister ship ARC Capitan Tono.