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U.S. Indo-Pacific CommandUSINDOPACOM

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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Home : JIATFW

####  

#   Joint Interagency Task Force West

## **            Rear Admiral Bob Little **

JIATF-West Intelink on NIPRNet|   JIATF-West APAN on NIPRNet|  **Contact Information**

**Individual Information**

####  

#### **About Joint Interagency Task Force West**

Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West) is the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM) Supported Commander for Department of Defense (DoD) support to law enforcement for Counter Drug (CD) and drug-related mission. The JIATF West team is made up of approximately 100 professionals comprised of active duty and reserve military, DoD civilians, contractors, and U.S. Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) liaison officers. 

#### **Mission**

Joint Interagency Task Force West, together with U.S. law enforcement, the interagency, and partner nations, leverages all-domain capabilities to identify and target illicit drug trafficking, enabling interdiction and apprehension to reduce the flow of drugs, degrade and dismantle drug trafficking organizations and transnational criminal organizations; reduce the risk to American lives and U.S. interests; and reduce threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

#### **Strategic End State**

Organizations that threaten the U.S., its territories, and its interests are denied the ability to traffic illicit drugs and precursor chemicals used to produce illicit drugs in the USINDOPACOM AOR; the environment is less permissive for their activities; and regional partnerships and stability are enhanced. 

#### **What We Do**

We bring military and law enforcement capabilities together to combat drug-related transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific Region. 

#### **More Resources**

#### **Our Approach to Combating Transnational Crime**

Since arriving to Hawaii in 2004, JIATF West has developed a strategy with supporting activities to face the particular challenges of the Indo-Pacific region, and to meet the evolving needs of our law enforcement partners. JIATF West works closely with law enforcement leadership partners across the region to increase support to major law enforcement operations and the investigations which support those operations.

Indo-Pacific based criminal enterprises are organized on a business model of networked criminal service providers. The U.S. law enforcement strategy to combat these criminal networks concentrates on long-term criminal investigations in order to prosecute organizations' leadership and seize criminally gained assets. These efforts lead to disrupting and dismantling criminal enterprises. 

By joining forces with U.S. and foreign partner law enforcement agencies, we are able to effectively augment and enhance their ability to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal enterprise networks. 

#### **The JIATF West Strategy**

Our strategy is built on the premise of interagency cooperation. JIATF West partners with U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies through regional U.S. Embassies and their respective country teams. We bring military and law enforcement capabilities together to combat and reduce transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific.

Partnerships enable three general categories of synergy and effectiveness:
                        - Applying Department of Defense and intelligence resources to ongoing investigations
                        - Building partner nation law enforcement capabilities to increase their effectiveness
                        - Bring partners into a wider network of law enforcement agencies

We offer specific programs to support the above categories:
                        - Intelligence analysis and related tradecraft to support investigations
                        - Identification and monitoring of criminal trafficking and activities
                        - Facilitate hands-on and classroom training (including investigations, search and seizure, maritime skills, small craft maintenance, financial investigative techniques, open-source intelligence, analytical methodologies-tools-practices-techniques, and other skills) 
                        - Small Scale Infrastructure (building refurbishment, training facilities, operations center, border checkpoints, and other projects)

#### **History**

 

**1989**

The U.S. military was given statutory responsibility to detect and monitor aerial and maritime illicit drug shipments to the United States. With this statutory responsibility, came the first iteration of the national drug task forces; Joint Task Force (JTF) FOUR (4) in Key West Fla., JTF FIVE (5), in Alameda, Calif., JTF SIX (6), in El Paso, Texas, and JTF South in Panama City, Panama. JTF 5 ultimately became Joint Interagency Task Force-West (JIATF West). 

**1994**

Three JTFs, JTF-4, 5, and South were re-designated as Joint Interagency Task Forces (JIATFs) with expanded authorities under the National Interdiction Command and Control Plan (NICCP). JTF-4 became JIATF East, JTF-5 became JIATF West, and JTF-6 became JTF North. The JIATFs coordinated and directed the detection, monitoring, and sorting of suspect drug-trafficking aircraft and vessels. Targets were turned over to appropriate U.S. law enforcement authorities for apprehension.

**1999**

JIATF East became JIATF South. JIATF South is located in Key West, Fla., and continues to conduct counter illicit trafficking operations, intelligence fusion and multi-senior correlation to detect, monitor, and handoff suspected illicit trafficking targets. JIATF South was responsible for the CD Operations in the Caribbean and JIATF West oversaw the Eastern Pacific (EPAC).

**2003**

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) issued a memorandum delineating the AORs for JIATF South, JIATF West, and JTF North. JIATF South assumed responsibility for detection and monitoring responsibilities as defined by 10 U.S.C. § 124 in a Joint Operating Area (JOA) within the USINDOPACOM AOR that extends west from the USSOUTHCOM AOR boundary, from 092° W to 120° W longitude. This portion of the EPAC was formerly the responsibility of JIATF West. JIATF West retained responsibility for executing CD missions in the remainder of USINDOPACOM’s AOR except for the JOA.

**2004**

JIATF West relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii from Alameda, Calif. In conjunction with the move, JIATF West developed a strategy with supporting activities to face the particular challenges of the Indo-Pacific region, and to meet the evolving needs of our law enforcement partners. JIATF West works closely with senior law enforcement leadership partners across the region to support major CD Operations.

**2017**

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) changed how JIATF West supported Building Partner Capacity (BPC) efforts when BPC transitioned from Section 1004 of the NDAA 1991 to 10 U.S.C. § 333.

**Jan 2020**

The FY2021 Defense-Wide Review (DWR) directed to “Deactivate Joint Interagency Task Force - West Operations Center/Systems” and transfer residual functions to USINDOPACOM and USNORTHCOM no later than FY 2023.

**Aug 2021**

DoD Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy, and USINDOPACOM recommended reversal of the DWR decision and advocated for retention of JIATF West as a standing task force.

**Nov 2021**

In response to the DWR reversal, JIATF West formed a Mission Refinement Working Group (MRWG) to determine how to best leverage the TF’s limited resources and to best execute focused missions.

**Apr 2022**

Secretary of Defense approved the decision to retain JIATF West as a smaller, more focused organization that would concentrate on programs and activities directly supporting the CD and Counter Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC) missions. These programs and activities were to include tracking networks, exploiting intelligence, sharing information, and integrating with partners.  

**Today**

JIATF West brings military and law enforcement capabilities together to combat drug-related transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific Region. JIATF West's top priority is supporting law enforcement in their efforts to reduce the illicit flow of fentanyl, methamphetamine, Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and precursors intended for U.S. markets. JIATF West has four specific Lines Of Effort (LOE):
                        - LOE 1 : Provide Intelligence Analysis to US LEAs and partners in support of Investigations and Operations
                        - LOE 2 : Identify, Monitor, and Target Threat Networks associated with Precursor Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Equipment from the Indo-Pacific to the Western Hemisphere
                        - LOE 3 : Identify, Monitor, and Target Threat Networks associated with Mexican drug trafficking organizations operating in the Indo-Pacific
                        - LOE 4 : Strengthen Allies and Partners

 

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                        -  Joint Interagency Task Force - West   

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