An enhanced counternarcotics program initiated by former President Donald Trump in the Caribbean and western Pacific netted back-to-back cocaine busts in April that pushed its year-over-year tally to $7.5 billion, according to U.S. Southern Command.
In a White House ceremony last April, flanked by Southcom commander Adm. Craig Faller, Trump declared drugs entering the United States were killing thousands of people and could be stopped if additional military ships and aircraft were provided to the Miami-based command.
A year later, the enhanced counternarcotics program launched under Trump has seized 296 tons of cocaine, 139,000 lbs of marijuana, and detained 990 suspected drug smugglers with U.S. Coast Guard assistance, Southcom told the Washington Examiner Monday.
The two recent busts by the USS Sioux City, in conjunction with U.S. Coast Guard vessels, between April 26 and April 28 detained five drug traffickers and seized 582 kg of cocaine in Caribbean shipments likely destined for the U.S.
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Southcom maritime patrol aircraft spotted the first go-fast vessel April 26 while on a routine patrol, radioing coordinates to the Sioux City. A Sea Knights helicopter and small ship deployed for the intercept.
As the aircraft approached, traffickers were seen throwing packages overboard. Nonetheless, all packages were recovered and two traffickers were detained.
On April 27, a second go-fast boat was spotted and a Sioux City helicopter again took flight to reach the vessel. Once more, traffickers were attempting to rid the boat of contraband before they were detained.
Faller told members of the House Appropriations Committee last month he hopes Trump’s additional resources remain permanent.
“We were able to get on more targets last year, disrupt more flow, put more pressure on the networks, which generates more opportunity for partner nations and law enforcement partners to capture, detain,” Faller said April 15, noting that partner nations were involved in 60% of the operations.
Until the Biden administration submits a defense budget to Congress, it is not yet known what cuts are in mind for America’s global combatant commands. Under Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the geographic commands were instructed to do belt-tightening and more closely align with the National Defense Strategy calling for great power competition with China and Russia.
Faller said the changes were making an impact but must be maintained.
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“Modest investments in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, security cooperation, and presence go a long way in the hemisphere and will help us and our partners counter these global threats,” he said.
“We’re on a good glide slope but clearly not enough when we still have tens of thousands dying in the United States,” he added. “We still have organizations that have budgets larger and bigger than many of the security forces they face and organizations that control territory, frankly.”
