High Priority Issues For Southcom And Partner Nations

The problem of drugs coming over into the United States from Mexico is not new, but it is serious and in spite of many efforts by American law enforcement and border authorities, it continues day after day. This paper reviews the problem from several perspectives and brings to light attempts the U.S. has made to stop drug trafficking on our border with Mexico. The biggest issue regarding border security is the power of the drug cartels, and the majority of emphasis in this paper is directed towards the cartels.

United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has been working to build regional and interagency partnerships to ensure the continued stability of the Western Hemisphere and the forward defense of the U.S. homeland for more than fifty years. U.S. Southern Command is responsible to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States for national security interests through roughly one half of this hemisphere – 31 countries, 16 dependencies and areas of special sovereignty, and approximately four hundred and sixty million people. SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to Central and South America; and the Caribbean Sea. (United States Southern Commamd n.d.) SOUTHCOM priorities are: (1) Countering Transnational Organized Crime; (2) Counterterrorism; (3) Building Partner Capacity; (4) Contingency Response; (5) Detainee Operations. SOUTHCOM missions are carried out by its component commands: (1) U.S. Army South; (2) 12th Air Force (AF South); (3) U.S. Marine Corps Forces South; (4) U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command; (5) Special Operations Command South; (6) Joint Task Force Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base; (7) Joint Task Force Guantanamo; and (8) Joint Interagency Task Force South. (114th Congress Senate Armed Services Committee 2016)

My intent is to defend, provide security capability while building partners utilizing all elements of the diplomacy, information, military and economic domains for USEASTCOM. Understand our purpose is to strengthen the capacity of our African partners’ ability to provide security and positive governance. Remain steadfast; because this will be a long and enduring task; one that will challenge you mentally, emotionally, and physically. USEASTCOM needs us and with that being said; we will stand with them to ensure their lands and more importantly US homeland is secured by defeating violent extremist organizations before they can make it to our shores. Our actions will enable the U.N., African Union (AU), and other regional organizations to counter

The country’s borders make the most important part in the process of reducing drug trafficking in the U.S. Drug law enforcement agencies face enormous challenges when it comes to

Running Head: Should the government recruit discharged and retired military personnel to reduce drug trafficking?

In September of 1994, elements of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Special Operations Forces (SOF), and 25th Infantry Division, were organized into a U.S.-led Multi-National Force (MNF). These forces were assembled and deployed in support of Operation Uphold Democracy in the Republic of Haiti to reinstate ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide and return the country to a democratic state.

Today, building on the strong record of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and its member agencies, the President is announcing several initiatives” (fact sheet 1). It is also stated that, “President Obama is committed to protecting vulnerable individuals as government contractors and subcontractors perform vital services and manufacture goods procured by the United States. As the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the U.S. Government has a responsibility to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, and to ensure American tax dollars do not contribute to this affront to human dignity” (fact sheet 2). Though actions were being taken by U.S. diplomacy to combat human trafficking it was during this time that criticisms

U.S Customs and Border Protection has also been in charge in keeping terrorist and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S laws (Peak, 2009, Pg. 164). Consequently, immigrants have been victims of human trafficking. According to Larry K. Gaines from the textbook Criminal Justice in Action, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has played an important role in focusing the nation’s borders. Their mission is to detain illegal aliens and deport them to their country, and disrupting trafficking operations. In 2008, ICE removed about

currently use to prevent illicit crimes from spilling over? While the Administration and congress have made the vision of a secure border a reality by developing, integrating, investing, and undertaking new measures. Developing several ambitious strategies’ in investing in border infrastructure. While today there not too much specifics details of the Obama Administration’s plans on border security the most valuable existing program is the Merida Initiative , a program developed between the United States and Mexico to assist law enforcement efforts, help enhance judicial and prosecutorial effectiveness, and to foster better court and prison management in Mexico. While this program is costing the United States around 2 billion it is a step forward in cooperation with Mexico in combating security and immigration issues (Seelke, 2009). With the Merida Initiative the United States can help its neighboring country combat crime and illegal immigration before it reaches the U.S

CBP/OAM’s strategic objectives is to establish and maintain effective control of air, land, and maritime borders with the appropriate mix of infrastructure, technology, and personnel. OAM’s mission is to protect the United States from aircraft, vessels, and people engaged in illicit smuggling, terrorism and/or illegal immigration. Persistent Surveillance directly supports Strategic Goal One: Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime, and Goal Two: Advanced Comprehensive Border Security and Management in CBP’s Vision and Strategy 2020 and the National Southwest Border Counternarcotic Strategy. In the Air and Marine Operations Vision and Strategy 2025, the core competencies of interdiction, investigation, domain awareness, and contingency

NORTHCOM must reassess its role in providing regional security for the United States. It is not able to fulfill its mandate as the “only US organization focused on homeland security.” (NORTHCOM Strategic Vision, 5) This is evident with the increase in violence within Mexico due to Transnational Organized Crime (TOCs) and Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) since the creation of NORTHCOM. (Beittel, 19) NORTHCOM failed to establish a State Partnership Program with Mexico. This is a lost opportunity to improve Mexico’s capabilities and capacity to fight criminal organizations.

Tackling the War on Drugs (CD) and Combating Transnational Crime Organizations (TCO) is an important national security problem. While addressing this issue in a scholastic forum, I immersed myself into this problem set using the guidance of assuming the role of Colonel Tim Killian. Utilizing the provided case and the ADIA framework and course concepts, I reviewed and assessed the information presented. The goal of Joint Task Force North (JTFN) J-5 is to develop a “strategy for military support to counter drug efforts and more broadly fight transnational organized crime.”

There are several significant planning considerations the DOD must identify and incorporate when providing support to domestic law enforcement agencies during counterdrug operations. Firstly, DOD support to counterdrug operations is part of a whole of government effort to eliminate the transport and transfer of illegal drugs into the US. DOD is the lead federal agency for the detection and monitoring (D&M) of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs into the US as outlined in the National Defense Authorization Acts of 1990 and 1991. The desired end result of D&M is the interdiction and apprehension by Law Enforcement Agency (LEA). DOD assists partner nations (PN) in counter drug (CD) operations, only when specifically requested by LEA and

Created in 2005 - Operation against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security (OASISS) is an operation, along the many of them used by the U.S., to make sure the border security is strong and to ensure no ones crosses illegally. This operation includes customs border patrol agents teaming up with Mexican officials to share information and prosecute smugglers in the border areas. “The program was set up to identify and dismantle alien smuggling organizations through a bi-national prosecutorial program that includes expanding current liaison operations, gathering and exchanging data, and enhancing judicial consequences on both sides of the border.” ("Southwest Border Security Operations.”) The program has played a huge and important role in solving nearly 1500 cases. It also is responsible for these main advancements:

This remarkable synergy leads some experts, such as Parag Khanna, to suggest “Elevating South America to its rightful place as the third pillar of the West alongside Europe and North America”. However, if Khanna’s vision of a “third pillar” is to be realized, the United States will need to alleviate security concerns that plague the region and drain its potential. The region still faces a number of issues that interfere with its democratic consolidation and potential for global leadership roles. Because many of these issues are security issues, they are relevant to U.S. national security planning.