MIAMI / HAITI – A US Coast Guard law enforcement detachment deployed on the USS Billings stopped a suspected drug smuggling vessel, last Thursday, approximately 8 miles off Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti.
With the permission of the Haitian government, the boarding team’s investigation resulted in approximately 3,200 pounds of marijuana being found, worth approximately $3.8 million, and one person was detained. The contraband and suspected smuggler were transferred to Haitian authorities, Sunday.
“In close coordination with the Haitian government, the US Coast Guard remains steadfast in our shared mission to safeguard the maritime approaches of the Caribbean,” said Lt. Cmdr. Cory Arsenault, the Coast Guard liaison officer for Haiti. “Together, we are strengthening joint operations to disrupt the illegal flow of narcotics, protect vulnerable communities, and uphold the security and stability of the region. Our partnership reflects a continued commitment to collaboration, vigilance, and the rule of law.”
The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:
- USS Billings;
- US Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, LEDET 405;
- Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 48, Detachment 3;
- Joint Interagency Task Force South;
- Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders.
Eighty percent of interdictions of US-bound drugs occur at sea. This underscores the importance of maritime interdiction in combatting the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting American communities from this deadly threat.Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination.
Joint Interagency Task Force South, in Key West, conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the US Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases.
Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the US Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard Southeast District, headquartered in Miami.
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