Advantage Narcotraffickers: Mitigating the Threat of the Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible Platform
2009
Bryan, Kennedy S.
Drug traffickers in Colombia have taken to a new tactic to transport large amounts of drugs from the west coast of Colombia to Central and North America. Built in factories located in the Colombian jungles, traffickers have constructed self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessels that are difficult to detect visually and with radar, have extensive ranges, and can in excess of five tons of cocaine. Senior military leaders, noting the increased use of these vessels, have called for action in deterring and defeating these semi-stealthy platforms. In his 2008 posture statement to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, Admiral James Stavridis, Commander, U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), noted the increased threat to Central American countries (as well as to the U.S.) that these platforms present. Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, also noting the threat to regional and U.S. safety and security, has called for a multi-pronged approach to defeat this new challenge. Given the "failure of imagination" that led to the events of September 11, 2001 (and without trying to sound alarmist), the potential for serious national security implications is enormous. Admiral Allen proposes focusing on four areas to successfully counter the SPSS threat: increased cooperation with regional partners; increased intelligence sharing in the drug source and transit zones; stepping up interdiction in the transit zones; and enacting legislation that will impose harsh penalties on SPSS crews operating the unmarked stateless craft.
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