SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Eastern Caribbean Combined Coordination Group (ECCG) held a meeting April 23-25, in San Juan, to discuss increasing coordination to unify action against illicit market-driven flows that include human trafficking, human smuggling, the export of arms and monetary instruments, environmental crimes, and the movement of illicit drugs within the Eastern Caribbean Joint Operating Area.
Transnational Criminal Organizations conducting this sort of malign activity along the maritime approaches to the U.S. Southeast Maritime Border – threaten maritime security, the rule of law, and ultimately, regional stability.
The Eastern Caribbean Combined Coordination Group is comprised of U.S. interagency and international partners with diverse expertise and authorities necessary to deepen cooperation across myriad jurisdictions and against the broad spectrum of threats and challenges in Eastern Caribbean region.
Joint Task Force – East (JTF-E) coordinates U.S. Department of Homeland Security efforts to complement the network ECCG coalition partners in the Eastern Caribbean threat vector. The ECCG seeks to achieve strategic objectives to ensure regional security and prosperity through a campaign focused on distinct lines of effort:
- Building and sustaining the strong partnerships that support sustained unified action among coalition members;
- Enhancing trust by fostering a repeatable, enduring information-sharing regime;
- Realizing measurable outcomes via synchronized operations.
Agencies comprising the Eastern Caribbean Combined Coordination Group:
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Homeland Security Investigations
- U.S. Transportation Security Administration
- U.S. Southern Command, Joint Interagency Task Force South
- U.S. State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
- Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety
- Caribbean Regional Security System
- Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Dominican Republic Navy
- Seaport Cooperation Project
- U.K. National Crime Agency
- Coastguard Service of the French Customs
- Royal Saint Lucia Police Force
- Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.
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