By Gerrino J. Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

Successive governing administrations have cited the logistical challenges when it
comes to securing the nation’s maritime borders as The Bahamas spans across
100,390 square miles, so the executive order by the United States White House for
immediate increased actions to secure all of America’s maritime borders including
those shared with The Bahamas can only be beneficial according to the Minister of
National Security Wayne Munroe, KC.
“If the Coast Guard increases its presence for instance between the northern
Bahamas and the US, there will be very little reason for duplication of those efforts
and we may very well be able to direct The Bahamas maritime efforts elsewhere in
The Bahamas,” said Munroe.
Last Tuesday the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced that it will take immediate
actions to enhance the security of all America’s maritime borders including those
shared with The Bahamas.
USCG Admiral Kevin Lunday the Acting Commandant ordered a surge of assets
towards border protection in response to executive orders issued by the White
House.

Adm. Lunday said, increased USCG guard cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable
specialized forces in the region is in part to deter and prevent a maritime mass
migration from Haiti and/or Cuba into the U.S.
In addition to its borders shared with The Bahamas, the increased patrols by the
U.S. also will include the Southeast US border approaching Florida, and the
maritime border between The Bahamas and South Florida. This in addition to The
maritime border around Alaska, Hawai’i, the U.S. territories of Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; The southwest maritime border between the U.S.
and Mexico in the Pacific; The maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the
Gulf of America The USCG will also give support to Customs and Border
Protection on maritime portions of the southwest U.S. border.

Adm. Lunday said, “together, in coordination with the Department of Homeland
Security and Department of Defense teammates, the US Coast Guard will detect,
deter and interdict illegal migration, drug smuggling and other terrorist or hostile
activity before it reaches our border.”
Minister Munroe reminded, “the Royal Bahamas Defense Force operates closely
with the USCG in our efforts to interdict migration, drugs and weapons trafficking
in the region.”
The Bahamas along with the Turks and Caicos Islands have a long relationship of
working together to interdict drugs, weapons and illegal migration flowing north to
the U.S. through a joint operation called Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos
(OPBAT) in which the USCG plays a major role in providing valuable air sea and
land assets that may not be available to small island developing states like The
Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In March of 2024 the USCG reported on the results of a joint operation and the
Royal Bahamas Police Force along with the US Drug Enforcement Administration
interdicting some 391 kilos of cocaine at the Mayaguana airport worth an
estimated value of $7.5 million. The statement their said OPBAT partners
collaborated to interdict the contraband and the arrest of a suspected smuggler.
While the U.S. is increasing its maritime security, the Government of The
Bahamas was already on high alert with increased maritime patrols in the southern
Bahamas as a result of the social and political unrest and gang violence in Haiti
which could result in mass migration to The Bahamas and other countries in the
region.
In March of 2024 while at the Office of the Prime Minister press briefing Royal
Bahamas Defense Force Commodore Dr. Raymond King confirmed that a
blockade had been established as the RBDF works along with regional partners
including Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), the United States Coast
Guard and the Cuban Border Patrol through information and intelligence sharing.
He said, “the reasons for such a considered maritime blockade are as follows: the
mass displacement of Haitians from the capital and metropolitan areas up to some
400,000 ; the jail break of approximately 4,500 inmates of which 3,500 remain at
large, which includes persons accused of the Haitian President’s assassination in
2021; dangerous criminals and members of the various gangs. These persons

present a national security concern to us here in The Bahamas as well as our
neighboring countries.”
Commodore King said the potential of these escapees to flee Haiti to The
Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico,
and the likelihood of their involvement in gang violence and homicides is real.
He said similarly the probability of these escapees to become involved in
transnational activities like weapons, drugs and human trafficking as a source of
funding for their activities is also a possibility.
Dr. King noted that at the time The Bahamas blockade comprised six surface
assets, one aircraft and total force strength of some 120 people at that time.
Additionally he said there are collaborative vessel patrols with the Turks and
Caicos Islands, with coastal personnel from the Turks and Caicos embedded in
Bahamian vessels as ship riders, as well as working closely with the USCG that
also has vessels in the area.