WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US military command covering the land and sea of Latin America and the Caribbean faces a shortage of approximately 14 ships in order to interdict drugs and other contraband, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander Adm. Kurt Tidd said in a congressional testimony on Thursday.
"If I were to accomplish the goal of 40 percent interdiction, I would require 21 ships," Tidd told the US Senate Armed Services Committee. On average, he said the Southern Command has "about six to seven."
Drug interdiction and stopping other illicit trafficking into the United States is among the key priorities for the Southern Command, particularly as a growing number of Americans are using heroin trafficked from Latin America.
According to the White House, the vast majority of heroin consumed in the United States originated in Latin America. At present, Mexico serves as the largest producer and supplier of heroin to the US market.
