Coast Guard participates in Caribbean anti-smuggling venture

     The U.S. Coast Guard in Florida says crew members aboard the Cutter Alligator offloaded cocaine valued at $5.1 million in St. Petersburg, Florida on Thursday. The cocaine was seized in support of Operation Caribe Venture. During a routine patrol last week, a Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine aircraft detected a 25-foot “go-fast” vessel in the Caribbean Sea.
    Coast Guard officials report that an armed Coast Guard helicopter crew 
observed suspicious packages on board the go-fast vessel. After the go-fast failed to heave to, the helicopter crew fired warning shots over its bow, then disabled the vessel with a shot to the engine. Three smugglers aboard the go-fast boat were arrested and turned over to law enforcement officials.
     The Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean series often covers the narco-terrorist connections throughout the Caribbean Basin. This is why I keep tabs on the happenings of Operation Caribe Venture, which is an international operation led by the Commander Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean and focuses on illicit drug trafficking in the Central Caribbean. U.S. Coast Guard and U.S Navy units also  participate in the operations, often alongside Dutch Navy and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard assets.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean" online spy series. His views are his own and do not represent those of any organization he is a member of.