Attached.

Running Head: DRUG INTERDICTION IN THE U.S COAST GUARD
The role of United States Coast Guard in Drug Interdiction

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The U.S Coast Guard plays a critical role in the country’s defense to prevent dangerous
drugs from reaching America via the sea. The Coast Guard closely coordinates with other federal
and state agencies in the country to prevent the illegal flow of drugs into the country. USCG
closely works with other countries that are within six million square mile to bar illegal flow of
drugs via the coast. The USCG drug interdiction initiatives are attributed to over half of the
illegal drug seizures recorded in United States. The USCG layered strategy entails improving the
maritime border security through the security systems that extends past the domestic physical
borders (Wagner, 2014). In this approach, the USCG drug interdiction initiatives starts in foreign
countries whereby the Coast Guard carries out assessment of foreign ports in order to leverage
the International Port Security Program and determine the foreign border security. Before the
vessels enter the American sea ports, critical information about the vessels is provided to the
USCG from the screening and targeting operations involving the crews, passengers, cargo, as
well as the vessel destination. USCG extensively employs current counterdrug bilateral
agreements with its partners to coordinate drug detection and monitoring as well as apprehension
and endgame activities to organize joint operations (Kramek, 2000). Through close monitoring
of foreign ports and analyzing their port security, the USCG is able to detect the materials that
access the American border, thus, enhancing drug interdiction in the American borders. A
maritime patrol aircraft closely monitors activities on the border via broad surveillance that
enables the American navy ships and foreign ships to respond effectively to any emerging
potential threats. The maritime patrol aircraft helps the USCG in monitoring border activities and
is able to keep tabs on all activities that take place on the coastline (Andreas, 2003). The USCG
works within the Department of Homeland Security to enforce its maritime security authorities
and capabilities and via its extensive partnerships, the USCG is able to mitigate the threat of

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dangerous narcotic drugs accessing the country and improve the overall security of American
domestic ports, seas as well as international coastlines.

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References

Byers, M. (2004). Policing the high seas: the proliferation security initiative. The American
Journal of International Law, 98(3), 526-545.
Andreas, P. (2003). Redrawing the line: Borders and security in the twenty-first
century. International security, 28(2), 78-111.
Kramek, J. E. (2000). Bilateral Maritime Counter-Drug and Immigrant Interdiction Agreements:
Is This the World of the Future?. The University of Miami Inter-American Law
Review, 31(1), 121-161.
Wagner, D. (2014). A Push to the Sea: A Global Analysis of Immigration by the Sea: A United
States Coast Guard Policy Expansion in Preparation for an Influx of Migrants Via the
Sea. Loy. Mar. LJ, 14, 302.
Pendleton, J. H., Geiger, R., Jessor, T., Keefer, L. S., Langley, S. C., Lesser, A. S., ... & Rice, C.
N. (2015). Drug Control: Additional Performance Information Is Needed to Oversee the
National Guard's State Counterdrug Program (No. GAO-16-133). GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC.
Marcario, J. C. (2014). Pooling resources: US Coast Guard,...