ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard joined coast guards and navies from 13 nations, between June 24 and July 9, in an exercise hosted by Ecuador to align international mission priorities seeking to ensure the defense, security, multinational cooperation and governance of the maritime domain of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Eleventh Coast Guard District employed the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms, a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter, and subject matter experts to engage in professional exchanges with international partners completing a variety of exercises centered around countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations.
“Fostering strong diplomatic and operational relationships between the U.S. and partner nations is essential in having improved maritime security and governance,” said Capt. Jason Hagen, Eleventh District chief of Enforcement Division. “By participating in exercises like Galapex, the U.S. Coast Guard can assess and understand operational capabilities of other nations in the IUU domain, which strengthens future joint multi-agency and multi-national maritime operations.”
During the exercise, participants simulated real-world scenarios to refine response strategies for IUU fishing activities. The exercise helped participating nations to develop and refine procedures in enforcing maritime law.
"As the sole U.S surface asset to participate in the exercise, the cutter executed our first unsupported expeditionary patrol to the Southern Hemisphere in the Eastern Pacific area of operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Allice Gholson, commanding officer of the USCGC Benjamin Bottoms (WPC-1132). “The crew engaged with 14 partner nations both on land and at sea and did so in impeccable fashion. We encourage the continued partnership with the Ecuador Navy in future iterations of Galapex."
Transiting 3,500 miles from homeport to Ecuador and Galapagos Islands, the crew pushed the boundaries of mission sets and downrange operations. The ability to conduct expeditionary operations in support of our Central and South American partners could only be possible with the support of the Coast Guard's Expeditionary Logisitics Element (LOG-X), providing foreign port contracting services and advanced medical staffing through the deployable independent duty health services technician billet.
Working with the CG Attache in the U.S. Embassy Quito, the cutter enacted the ship rider program under the maritime bilateral agreement with Ecuador, hosting an Ecuadorian Coast Guard officer while underway.
The scenarios were run out of Ecuador’s Maritime Operations Center in Salinas, Ecuador. Drills included nine ships including the cutter Benjamin Bottoms operating as a task force and implementing standard procedures and considerations for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations within the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) high seas boarding inspections.