Director Gil Kerlikowske, Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited Coast Guard Air Station Miami last week and presented Tactical Law Enforcement Team South with their 2008 USIC Award for best maritime interdiction unit. During 2008, their Law Enforcement Detachments interdicted over 42 thousand kilograms of cocaine with an estimated value of $1.2 billion and the detention of 72 suspected narco-terrorists. TACLET South personnel also played a critical role in addressing the rising threat of Self-Propelled Semisubmersible (SPSS) vessels. These submarine-like vessels are barely visible from the surface and can carry tons of cocaine through the transit zone. They also represent a significant danger to boarding personnel because they are designed to be quickly scuttled by their crews after being detected. Using innovative boarding techniques, TACLET South's teams intercepted four of the seven SPSS vessels interdicted by the U.S. Government forces in 2008.
More photos from his visit available on Flickr
