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HomeMediaSpecial CoverageSOUTHCOM Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations

# SOUTHCOM Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations

NOTE: This page is *no longer being updated*, but remains posted for historical reference. Visit the Countering Transnational Organized Crime page for the latest information on SOUTHCOM's counter narcotics missions.

## U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced presence will support ongoing whole-of-government and internationally supported operations to reduce the availability of illicit drugs and save lives in the United States and throughout the region. The intent is to reduce the flow of illicit drugs, degrade transnational criminal organizations, and increase interoperability with our partner nations and interagency partners. The operation supports our objectives to degrade the capabilities of drug trafficking organizations, save lives, and directly support the National Drug Control Strategy.

## Counter Narcotics Imagery

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active returns home from Eastern Pacific patrol - Crews from the USCGC Active (WMEC 618) and Mexican SEMAR conduct a personnel transfer while Active patrols the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Apr. 24, 2024. Active regularly patrols the waters off southern Mexico and Central America, working with partner nations to combat transnational organized crime in the Western Hemisphere, specifically the smuggling of narcotics. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brenton Kludt.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active returns home from Eastern Pacific patrol - The USCGC Active (WMEC 618) crew rescue a solo sailor stranded on a disabled vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos Islands, Apr. 13, 2024. Active’s crew diverted over 200 nautical miles at high speed to conduct the search and rescue operation for the sailor whose sailboat was disabled and adrift at sea after a pod of whales damaged the boat. U.S. Coast Guard photo by U.S. Navy Midshipman Caden Dale.

240322-G-N3764-1002 - 240322-G-N3764-1002ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 22, 2024) - The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 work together to intercept a self-propelled semi-submersible drug smuggling vessel (SPSS), in the Atlantic Ocean, March 22, 2024. Leyte Gulf is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command area of operations, employed by U.S. Fourth Fleet to support joint and combined military operations, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. (U.S. Coast Guard Courtesy Photo/Released)

240322-G-N3764-1001 - 240322-G-N3764-1001ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 22, 2024) - The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 work together to intercept a self-propelled semi-submersible drug smuggling vessel (SPSS), in the Atlantic Ocean, March 22, 2024. Leyte Gulf is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command area of operations, employed by U.S. Fourth Fleet to support joint and combined military operations, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. (U.S. Coast Guard Courtesy Photo/Released)

US Government Donates Aircraft to Dominican Republic to Combat Narcotics Trafficking - SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Feb. 16, 2024) – Photo of an aircraft the United States donated to the Dominican Republic to support the shared fight against illicit narcotics trafficking and bolster the country's humanitarian assistance & disaster response capabilities. (Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy Dominican Republic)

US Government Donates Aircraft to Dominican Republic to Combat Narcotics Trafficking - SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Feb. 16, 2024) --SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Feb. 16, 2024) -- Senior U.S. and Dominican senior defense and government leaders, including Dominican Republic Minister of Defense, Lt. Gen. Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa and U.S. Chargé d’affaires Patricia Aguilera, pose for a photo in front of an aircraft the United States donated to the Dominican Republic to support the shared fight against illicit narcotics trafficking and bolster the country's humanitarian assistance & disaster response capabilities. (Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy Dominican Republic) the United States donated to the Dominican Republic to support the shared fight against illicit narcotics trafficking and bolster the country's humanitarian assistance & disaster response capabilities. (Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy Dominican Republic)

Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home, offloads approximately $55M worth of drugs in St. Petersburg - Crew of Coast Guard Cutter Resolute saran wrap illegal narcotics on the helicopter deck, Jan. 29, 2024, in St. Petersburg, FL. The drugs, once secured, are offloaded from the cutter and given to partner agencies for destruction. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg)

Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home, offloads approximately $55M worth of drugs in St. Petersburg - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute pose in front of interdicted drugs, Jan. 29, 2024, in St. Petersburg, FL. Drug interdiction is one of the 11 statutory missions of the Coast Guard. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg)

Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home, offloads approximately $55M worth of drugs in St. Petersburg - Coast Guard Cutter Resolute’s law enforcement team board a suspected drug trafficking vessel on the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Dec. 10, 2023. The Resolute is homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla and was deployed to the Eastern Pacific Ocean conducting counter narcotics operations in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South. (U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute photo)

Coast Guard offloads more than $32 million in illegal narcotics - Bales of illicit narcotics are stacked during an offload from Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell at Coast Guard Base Miami, Jan. 9, 2024. The more than 2,450 pounds of drugs are worth an assessed street value of approximately $32.2 million. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Sherbs)

SEE ALL COUNTER NARCOTICS IMAGERY AT DVIDS

### OVERVIEW

#### Mission:

On April 1, 2020, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) began enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential national security objectives.

####  

#### Location:

Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.

####  

#### Resources:

Additional U.S. capabilities include:
                        -  Navy destroyers and helicopters 
                        -  Coast Guard cutters and helicopters 
                        -  Navy littoral combat ships 
                        -  Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft 
                        -  Navy P-8 patrol aircraft 
                        -  Air Force E-3 AWACS aircraft (ISR) and E-8 JSTARS aircraft (ISR) 
                        -  Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Company (advise and assist) 

 

Ally & partner contributions:
                        -  22 nations provide intelligence and operations support as part of Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-South) 
                        -  Key partners in this fight: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, as well as European partners France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom -- will provide capabilities.  50% of interdictions last year involved partners. 

U.S. whole of government efforts continue with interagency assets from Customs and Border Protection, DEA and others.

These enhanced counter-narcotics operations constitute an increase in Naval destroyers, combat ships, aircraft and helicopters, and Coast Guard cutters. Additional assets double capabilities in the region.

####  

#### Purpose:

Our increased presence will:
                        -  Disrupt the flow of illicit drugs to the homeland, thereby protecting Americans 
                        -  Reassure allies and partners; build their capacity to contribute to the counternarcotics fight 

####  

#### Additional Information:

Drugs pose a threat to the homeland as drug overdoses kill around 70,000 Americans each year. Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, increase drug trafficking and can easily contribute to the spread of the virus.

Our multilateral counter-narcotics operations will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as supporting nations turn inward.

----

### ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

                        -  Learn more about SOUTHCOM's support to interagency and multinational efforts to **Counter Transnational Criminal Organizations **in the Western Hemisphere. 
                        -  Learn more about **Campaign Martillo**, an ongoing U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. 
                        -  Learn more about the U.S. military's two **Cooperative Security Locations (CSLs)**, formerly known as Forward Operating Locations, in Latin America and the Caribbean. The CSLs are strategic, cost-effective locations in Comalapa, El Salvador and Aruba-Curacao, formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, which allow U.S. and partner nation aircraft the use of existing airfields to support the region’s multinational efforts to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. 
                        -  U.S. Dept. of State's International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports 
                        -  U.S. Dept. of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs 
                        -  Office of National Drug Control Policy 

----

### WATCH: President Visits SOUTHCOM For Briefing on Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations

*President Donald J. Trump addresses U.S. Southern Command personnel following a briefing on enhanced counternarcotics operations at Southcom headquarters in Doral, Fla., July 10, 2020.*

----

SOUTHCOM Commander Telephonic Press Briefing on Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations

Audio and transcript of U.S. State Department's Media Hub of the Americas-hosted telephonic press briefing with the Commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller, April 17, 2020. (Links to State.gov)

----

### TWEETS from April 1 Announcement:

> 
Today, President Trump announced enhanced counter-narcotics efforts in the #SOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility. “We’re deploying additional Navy destroyers, combat ships, aircraft & helicopters, Coast Guard Cutters...doubling our capabilities in the region." @DefenseDept@StateDepthttps://t.co/NbGuCRWo5w
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 1, 2020

> 
“We must not let narco-terrorists exploit the pandemic to threaten American lives.” @DefenseDept@StateDept@TheJusticeDept@USAenEspanol
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 1, 2020

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## COMMANDER'S PRIORITIES

Strengthen Partnerships

Counter Threats

Build Our Team

## LATEST FROM SOUTHCOM

**RS24 enhances global space domain awareness with partner nations**

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**Peru, Brazil, US collaborate on TCCC training**

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**Peruvian, Ecuadorian, and U.S.C.G. train at RS24**

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**CENTAM Guardian 24 begins Phase II**

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## **SOUTHCOM TASK FORCES**

Joint Task Force-Bravo

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Joint Task Force-Guantanamo

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Joint Interagency Task Force South

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