The U.S. Coast Guard's Quiet Drug War Wins Amid Trump's Caribbean Strikes

"Detecting and interdicting narco-terrorism on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. U.S. Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM's) Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATFS), based in Key West, Florida, detects and monitors both aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension."

"I should point out that SOUTHCOM's JIATFS is a Defense Department (DoD) command that uses the capabilities of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, allies and partner nations to detect, monitor, and support interdiction of illicit narcotics movements in the air and maritime throughout the Western Hemisphere - meaning both the Pacific and Caribbean areas. Let me emphasize, SOUTHCOM directs what takes place both in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean areas."

SOUTHCOM's Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATFS), based in Key West, Florida, detects and monitors aerial and maritime drug transit across the Western Hemisphere, covering both the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. Once interdiction is imminent, command shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the law-enforcement phase. U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft detect suspect vessels, and Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron crews provide airborne tactical support, including helicopter-mounted long-range rifles to disable outboard engines. Eastern Pacific interdictions have halted speedboats, led to crew arrests, and seized over 4,475 pounds of cocaine. In the Caribbean, several speedboats were destroyed rather than seized.

Read at The Cipher Brief