Speeches & Op-Eds
Ceremony to mark the transition of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) from the U.S. Army to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
October 1, 2007, 10:00 a.m.
Police Training College, Nassau, The Bahamas
The Honorable Orville “Tommy” Turnquest, Minister of National Security, The Honorable Galmo Williams, Minister ofHome Affairs and Public Safety, Turks and Caicos Islands, Mr. Edward Frothingham, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics, Mr. William Brown, Special Agent-in-Charge DEA Aviation Wing, Mr. Paul Farquharson, Commissioner Royal Bahamas Police Force, Commodore Clifford Scavella, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Members of the 101st Airborne Division, Father Stephen Davis, Chaplain, RBPF, Other Honored Guests:
Thank you for joining us this morning to mark the transfer of responsibilities for operations at the Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos base in Georgetown, Exuma from the U.S. Army to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
This is a bittersweet moment for those of us involved in OPBAT, as it marks the end of what has been a long and very productive partnership between the U.S. Army and OPBAT.
Those of us old enough to remember the drug threat that swept through the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and South Florida in the late 1970's and early 1980's can recall how the drug lords were able to ply their trade practically at will, how they were able to erode the foundations of the rule of law, and how they were able to threaten the very security and safety of our countries and our citizens.
In the face of this threat, Agents from the DEA and Royal Bahamas Police Force came together to discuss how they could work together to combat the ever increasing flow of narcotics through the Bahamas -- an estimated 70 percent of the cocaine that entered the United States at that time. As a result of these discussions, the agents and the police formulated the idea of a mobile operation with aerial capability to detect, track and ultimately arrest traffickers plying Bahamian waters and airspace.
This operation, launched in 1983, brought together The Bahamas, The Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States, and represented a major advance in our approach to combating drug trafficking. Not only were we bringing together multiple U.S. government agencies -- DEA, the Coast Guard, Customs, State Department and Department of Defense -- in a single multi-agency operation, but we were also bringing in other countries in partnership in a genuinely multi-national operation.
This innovative strategy was combined with the most basic, fundamental approach to law enforcement: investigate, find the traffickers, seize the dope, and make the case.
The U.S. Army initially joined OPBAT in 1986 to strengthen OPBAT's capability to respond to trafficker activity at any time and in any conditions. Their assignment, I am told, was to have been temporary. But their effectiveness in meeting OPBAT's requirements and the broader success of OPBAT in meeting the drug trafficking challenge led the months to turn into years and the years into decades.
During the twenty-one year partnership between the U.S. Army and OPBAT, we have had the distinct privilege of having the following distinguished units serve in OPBAT mission.
101stAirborne Div (Air Assault)
24th Infantry Div (Mechanized)
10th Infantry Div (Mountain)
3rd Infantry Div (Mechanized)
XVIII (18th) Airborne Corps Aviation Brigade
82nd Airborne Div
101st Airborne Div (Air Assault)
These Army units, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and DEA, have played an indispensable role in providing the airlift that has been so vital to our ability to stem the flow of cocaine and marijuana originating in South American source countries, transiting through the Bahamas, and destined for the United States.
In fact, since 1986, the partnership between the United States Army and OPBAT has resulted in a total of 93,808 kilograms of cocaine and 1,430,900 pounds of marijuana seized with a U.S. streetvalue of over 3 billion dollars.
Looking back at those figures, and the thousands of hours of investigations, patrolling, and legal work they represent, I cannot help but reflect on how far we have come since those first operational meetings in the early 1980’s. From an innovative idea and sound basic concept, OPBAT has evolved into a sophisticated operation known for its complex and far-reaching investigations.
In fact, OPBAT has proven to be one of the most successful and longest lasting operations of drug law enforcement anywhere in the world. As a result of the efforts of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, the DEA, the Army, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, we have turned the tide by reducing the cocaine flow through the Bahamas and U.S from 70 percent in the early 1980’s to 10 percent today.
The Army’s departure certainly represents a time of transition for OPBAT. OPBAT came to rely heavily on the Army. The extraordinary capabilities that the men and women of the U.S. Army brought to OPBAT will be sorely missed and the U.S. Embassy and OPBAT will always be grateful for their outstanding contributions.
But times of change are also times of renewal and opportunity. And so it is with OPBAT. Army's requirement to undertake other missions prompted an intensive focus on the mission and its importance, resulting in a reinvigorated inter-agency commitment to ensure the continuity of the OPBAT mission. It forced all agencies involved to reassess the threats and ensure our capabilities were adapted to meet the mission. It led the Bahamian government to engage at the highest levels to reinforce the continuing importance of the mission to the Bahamas.
What emerged from this process is an OPBAT that is just as capable of meeting the threats to the rule of law and security and that will continue to set the standard among counter-drug operations. It’s a redesigned Cadillac -- swifter, lighter, more fuel-efficient -- but still able to get from zero-sixty in a few seconds and turn heads in the process.
So while we are sorry to see the Army end its mission, I am pleased to announce that the Drug Enforcement Administration will replace the Army in Georgetown with three Bell 412 helicopters and an RU-38 fixed-wing airplane.
The DEA has always been the lead agency within OPBAT, and now, with the assumption of operations at Georgetown, it will take on an even larger role. The new DEA helicopters will continue to provide the 24/7 response capability required to ensure the effectiveness of operations in Georgetown. At the same time, the new fixed-wing aircraft will provide OPBAT with greater detection and monitoring capabilities, allowing for patrols of longer duration and greater distances.
These new responsibilities will fall to Mr. William Brown, Special Agent in Charge of DEA's air wing, and we are delighted that Mr. Brown is here today. Embassy Nassau thanks you for your efforts to achieve this solution and we look forward to working with you even more closely.
We are also pleased that the Department of Defense will continue to support the operations at Hawks Nest, and we welcome DOD's continued engagement in this vital mission on our Third Border. I would especially like to acknowledge the commitment of Deputy Assistant Secretary Frothingham to OPBAT. His efforts were vital in achieving the successful outcome we see before us today.
I would also like to thank the Government of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas for its steadfast support for OPBAT throughout this time of transition. The timely interventions of Prime Minister Ingraham and Foreign Minister Symonette in high-level meetings in Washington this summer were instrumental in ensuring the seamless transition with no gap in coverage that we mark today. I should also note that both Bahamian parties, whether in government or in opposition, have been firm and constant in their commitment to OPBAT, just as we have seen both Republican and Democratic Senators and Congressmen join forces behind OPBAT in the United States. Defeating the scourge of drug trafficking is clearly a goal around which both our countries remain firmly united.
Before closing, I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the continuing outstanding service of the U.S. Coast Guard, which supports OPBAT from its operating bases in Great Inagua and Andros islands. I would not want the Coast Guard to feel like the brother of the Prodigal Son, who was always with us but never had so much as a young goat to feast on! The Coast Guard has been in OPBAT from the beginning, and represents the real workhorse of the mission. Not only does it meet the many counter-drug demands, but is also called upon to save lives in search and rescue missions and assist with many difficult illegal migrant cases.
So as we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of OPBAT next March, we can take pride in its many successes and in its ability to adapt to changing times. But one thing that will not change is the enduring partnership between the United States, The Bahamas, and The Turks and Caicos symbolized by OPBAT.
In opening a new chapter in the history of OPBAT today, I would like once again to thank the U.S. Army on behalf of the Embassy for all of its efforts in combating the illegal flow of narcotics to the Bahamas and the U.S. I wish the DEA success in your new endeavors at Georgetown. May you have clear skies and tail winds as you fly over the beautiful Bahamian seas to ensure the peace and tranquility of our island neighbors.
Thank you.