The U.S. Navy has partnered with Saildrone to double the number of unmanned surveillance vessels monitoring drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
The California-based company announced on Monday that 20 long-range Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) will join the mission, supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) and the U.S. Fourth Fleet.
The upgraded Saildrones come equipped with advanced sensors to detect and track illicit maritime activity. With their low operational costs and long endurance, these autonomous vessels can cover surveillance gaps that Coast Guard cutters cannot, significantly increasing the odds of detecting smuggling operations.
Cmdr. Jon Williams, director of innovation for the U.S. Fourth Fleet, emphasized the importance of integrating unmanned systems into Navy and JIATF-S missions, stating, “The common maritime operational picture will allow our team to monitor and support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking in our areas of operation.”
The contract provides for 3,600 sailing days in total, with each of the 20 Saildrones operating for 180 days. The U.S. Navy has not disclosed specific areas of operation, but law enforcement efforts in the Fourth Fleet typically focus on high-value cocaine smuggling routes near Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, as well as migrant interdiction within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Additionally, new drug trafficking threats have emerged closer to U.S. shores, with the Gulf Cartel increasing smuggling and illegal fishing activities from Tamaulipas, Mexico, into the U.S. EEZ.
