Photo: Radio Nuevitas
“Cuba dedicates significant resources to prevent illegal drugs and their use from spreading,” reads a segment of the report published by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
In its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, it acknowledges that “despite its location between the largest exporters of illegal drugs in the hemisphere and the U.S. market, Cuba is not a major consumer, producer, or transit point of illicit narcotics,” the Granma newspaper reported on its Web site on March 21.
Dated March, 2015, the report adds that “Cuba’s domestic production and consumption remain low due to active policing, strict sentencing, and nationwide prevention and educational programs.”
The document also assures that intensive security presence and interdiction efforts have prevented traffickers from establishing Cuba as a foothold. “Cuba concentrates supply reduction efforts by preventing smuggling through territorial waters, rapidly collecting wash-ups, and conducting thorough airport searches.”
Likewise, the text points out that in 2013 the Cuban government reported the interdiction of 1.5 tons of illegal narcotics, that is, 98 percent of what was brought to its shores. Meanwhile, Cuban customs also informed about 43 operations against drug smuggling at smaller airports and the seizure of a total of 30.45 kilograms (kg) of narcotics.
The report points out that the U.S. Interests Section has a specialist for drug interception, who usually coordinates with Cuban police. “The USCG (United States Coast Guard) and Cuban authorities share tactical information related to vessels transiting Cuban territorial waters suspected of trafficking and coordinate responses,” assures the report.
With regard to this, it is specified that Cuba shares real-time tactical information with The Bahamas, Mexico, and Jamaica.
Likewise, in April, 2014, the United States and Cuba held technical discussions on the struggle against drug trafficking, during which current information on trends and procedures to execute antinarcotics operations were shared.
Read the full State Department Report at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/239560.pdf
