WILLEMSTAD, WASHINGTON - International cooperation is crucial in the fight against drug trafficking and transnational crime. Earlier this year, it was announced that the United States of America would intensify its anti-drug operation in the region. It concerned an already planned anti-drug operation in the Caribbean region. The Kingdom is one of 22 partners in the Joint Interagency Task Force - South (JIATF-South), which work together to combat drug trafficking. The government supports such anti-drug operations. Curaçao also benefits from tackling organized crime.
Since March 2, 2000, the Agreement on Cooperation between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of the United States of America concerning access to and use of facilities in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba for the fight against drugs by air has applied. Under this treaty, US aircraft use the so-called forward operating locations (FOL) at the airports of Curaçao and Aruba. The treaty only authorizes the conduct of flights for the purpose of surveillance, monitoring and detection of drug transports. The flights are carried out unarmed.
Due to a relatively large increase in the number of kilos of drugs that has been intercepted in the past period, the capacity of the FOL will be temporarily expanded. For example, between October 2019 and December 2019, 12,060 kilograms of cocaine and 184 kilograms of marijuana worth more than US $ 314 million were intercepted, and between May 2020 and June 2020, approximately 8,269 kilograms of drugs with an estimated value of US $ 219 million were already intercepted. The temporary extension will involve four aircraft, an E-3 Sentry (AWACS), an E-8 Joint STARS (JSTARS) and two tanker aircraft. For the operationalization of these aircraft, approximately 150 crew and maintenance personnel spread over a few months will strengthen the FOL.
The government would like to reiterate that this anti-drug operation is related to an increase in drug trafficking in the Caribbean region and that it will not allow its territory to be used for actions other than those needed to combat drugs.
For the first two weeks, Americans are required to comply with COVID-19 agreements and protocols.
