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Special Report From Key West, FL: What US Southcom Sees In Belize
posted (March 19, 2013)
Almost 200 years ago, the Monroe Doctrine was put forth by the United States. In simplest terms it stated that all of South, Central and North America should remain under the prevailing influence of the United States, and not the European powers that had colonized it.

The term was used by American leaders as recently as 30 years ago - and while it has fallen out of vogue recently as the Superpower's attention has shifted to the Muslim world, the US remains very interested in the political and security affairs of Central and South America.

And the clearest expression of that is the US Army Southern Command, known as SOUTHCOM. According to its charter, it is responsible for "providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central America, South America and the Caribbean." Last week, Janelle Chanona and other Belizean journalists were invited to SOUTHCOM's Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South in Key west Florida.

That's where the US Army tracks drugs moving north to the United States. It's a rare opportunity to see inside a tremendous military machine - and working with Jesse Mendoza from PLUS TV, Janelle put together this report on the US Army's perspective on security risks in our region:

Janelle Chanona Reporting

Colonel Greg Julian - Chief Public Affairs Officer, US Southern Command
"We all have combined security interests, in particular, transnational organized crime that affects all of us. And because we have limited resources, we can combine our resources and have great effect."

Janelle Chanona "In the Central American underworld, cocaine is king. 95% of the cocaine destined for the United States now passes through this part of the world."

John Murphy - Vice Director, Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South
"Still the primary movement, bulk amounts of cocaine come by the way of the go fast; other means of movement would be by airplane. However, there's also a more insidious way of moving large amounts of cocaine and as you can see behind me here, we have a semi-submersible vessel that can move very large quantities, up to about 8 metric tonnes at a time; very difficult to detect."

Strategically located in Key West Florida, the United States Southern Command's Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South works with 31 Caribbean, Central and South American countries to track the narcotics moving north and the money and weapons heading south...information that ultimately aids its law enforcement partners in the interdiction, apprehension and prosecution of transnational criminals.

And through operations like Operation Martillo, Belizean authorities are helping to drop the hammer on the drug trade. So far, Operation Martillo has netted thousands of tons of cocaine, with a street value in the billions of dollars. It's not everything but it's enough to keep the task force motivated.

John Murphy
"And we don't take credit for all this, let me tell you something, this is the great work between the Central American countries, South American countries, the United States, Mexico, all coming together and working hard against something that's very evil. Last year, this agency alone took down 152 metric tonnes; that's over 30% of all the world took down of cocaine; that's over 60% in the Western Hemisphere. So we think that employing our means and our methods of going as close to the source zone and trying to stop things in bulk is the most efficient means."

Janelle Chanona "When you wrap your head around the fact that drug dealers are so well funded that they are now able to use nearly undetectable devices like submersibles and submarines, it does beg the question, why just not legalize and regulate cocaine. On that point, the Vice Director's position is clear."

John Murphy
"There's nothing good about legalizing a dangerous drug. Cocaine is made of various components the major components being hydrochloric acid, soda ash, diesel fuel; do you really want your kids more exposed to a product like that, And putting that up their nose, I don't think so. And the corrosive effect that comes with the use cocaine in society, it's been my experience as a law enforcement officer for 20 years, legalizing anything that is dangerous is not a good thing."

The US has deployed marines in both Honduras and Guatemala to support the Task Force's anti-drug operations. And while Belize is not an area of high priority, Murphy says the country must remain vigilant.

John Murphy
"Criminal organizations prey, and they develop primary routes usually for three reasons, it's for geographic location to one's primary route; topography, how can you move the product in and through a country and it is the inability to defend one's self. Belize is situated just to the north of the primary flow. It is not within the primary flow. Right now, you're taking a defensive stance. Keep up with that defensive stance and keep pushing those corrosive effects south of your country."

Col. Greg Julian
"It's important that this is a whole of government effort from all our nations. It's not just a law enforcement effort, but there are other capacities that can be brought to bear to deal with this challenge and by making a whole of government effort, I think we'll have greater impact."

Janelle Chanona
"In the context of ever reducing resources of authorities and the impressive innovation of the criminals, the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South readily concedes that the best weapons in the war on drugs are strong working relationships with countries like Belize."

From Key West, Florida, I am Janelle Chanona.

The 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released last week by the US State Department, ranks Belize among the major countries listed for narco-trafficking and money laundering. Belize appeared on the list of major narco-trafficking countries with, among others, Afghanistan, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica,.

The report says, quote, "Belize's overall counter-narcotics efforts suffer deficiencies in intelligence gathering, analysis, and capacity of the judicial sector, in addition to corruption and inadequate political will."

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