It is difficult to overemphasize how much the drug war has changed in a relatively short period. From the early days of random, slow, and easy to catch bulk shipments of marijuana, the drug trade has evolved into a sophisticated smuggling operation fueled by immense profits and a growing global appetite for cocaine. Unfortunately, this no longer is the threat faced in the Caribbean. Today the maritime smuggling method of choice is the small, oceangoing speedboat, or go-fast, possibly the most serious challenge ever faced by maritime law enforcement. As a design, the go-fast is uniquely suited to defeat modern military and law enforcement surveillance systems.
Speed is the go-fast's greatest asset.
It carries enough fuel to run the length of the Caribbean in 40 hours, making the window of detection for law enforcement units extremely small. If detected, the go-fast runs, and there are few units in the military inventory that can intercept it. Too often, the go-fast is lost in the chase during aircraft turnover or growing twilight. The success of the go-fast and these counterdetection tactics are telling. In analysis of the seizure of 15 March, it was determined that at one point the seized go-fast had been overflown by a helo at a distance of 100 yards and remained undetected.