U. S. Coast Guard

Description | Operations | Training | Maritime Counterdrug Agreements | Other Sites

Description:

The U.S. Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transportation except in time of war, when it passes to the Department of Defense. As the primary enforcer of U.S. law on the high seas and in U.S. territorial waters, the Coast Guard plays a large drug interdiction role, seeking to deter drug traffickers from using maritime routes to transport illegal drugs. The Coast Guard's anti-drug role also involves combined operations, training and maritime counter-drug arrangements with other countries' security forces.

Coast Guard officers are posted in several embassies worldwide to coordinate training assistance to major drug producing and major drug transiting countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, these countries include the Bahamas, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.

Operations:

The U.S. Coast Guard carries out several interdiction operations in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, in coordination with other countries' navies and coast guards. During these activities, which often occur in host countries' territorial waters, U.S. and host-country personnel monitor and pursue potential drug smugglers. In many cases a host-country officer aboard U.S. Coast Guard craft, known as a "shiprider," represents the local government and carries out arrests. Often known as "surge" operations because they represent a short-term intensification of interdiction activity, these activities usually take place in the context of maritime counter-drug agreements.

Examples of recent joint operations include Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, Blue Skies and Caribe Venture (Eastern Caribbean), Halcón (Dominican Republic), Miramar (Panama), Lambi and Frontier Advance (Haiti).

Training:

The Coast Guard develops specialized training programs according to partner countries' "needs and abilities." Training focuses on maritime law enforcement programs, port security, and institutional strengthening. The Coast Guard may also be a part of training programs that involve many U.S. agencies, if its particular area of expertise is needed.

Coast Guard officers at U.S. embassies in key narcotics source and transit countries coordinate a significant amount of training and assistance provided informally by visiting Coast Guard cutter and aircraft crew members. These embassy officers are currently stationed in the Bahamas, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, and Panama.

Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) provide on-site training in foreign countries. The cost of Coast Guard MTTs can be paid from the IMET, Expanded IMET, FMS, or INC programs, or from the defense budget's "Section 1004" authorization.

The Coast Guard also participates in some multinational training exercises, such as Tradewinds, which takes place annually in the Eastern Caribbean and aims to increase operational compatibility.

Coast Guard security assistance programs are coordinated by the International Affairs Staff for Security Assistance and International Training at Coast Guard headquarters.

List of courses given in 1996 and 1997

Maritime Counterdrug Agreements:

Coast Guard officers participate in interagency delegations which travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries to negotiate bilateral maritime counterdrug agreements. These agreements normally follow a "six part" model, with clauses regarding shipboarding, shipriders, pursuit, entry to investigate, overflight, and orders to land. Coast Guard officials also assist the State Department in negotiations for agreements to improve maritime drug-interdiction operations.

Other sites:

Sources

United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Congressional Presentation (Washington: Department of State: March 1998).

United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Fiscal Year 1998 Budget Congressional Presentation (Washington: Department of State: March 1997).

United States, General Accounting Office, Drug Control: Long-Standing Problems Hinder U.S. International Efforts, document number GAO-NSIAD-97-75 (Washington, GAO, February 1997) <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=waisback.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns97075.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao> Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=waisback.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns97075.pdf&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao>.

United States, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State, International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Washington, March 1998, March 2, 1998 <http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1997_narc_report/index.html>.

United States, Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Report to Congress: Volume I, Washington, September 15, 1997: 16 <http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/enforce/rpttocong/rpttoc.html>, Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format <http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/enforce/rpttocong/report.pdf>.