Working Draft—Please Do Not Cite Without Author’s Permission
Vorbach ISA 2005
18
functions places it in interesting waters in the post-9/11 environment. It has, through its
search and rescue and oil spill response functions, developed a reasonably constructive level
of engagement with the Mexican Navy over the years and this has helped to facilitate
cooperation in counter-drug efforts. This cooperation has resulted in successful cooperation
in drug seizure cases like the recent discovery of 4,950 pounds of cocaine 950 miles of the
Pacific coast of Mexico. In that case, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered the concealed cocaine
and alerted Mexican authorities about the status of the Mexican-flagged vessel. The Mexican
Navy seized the vessel and took it into port in Manzanillo.
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The Coast Guard has also
participated with the Mexican Navy in what are referred to as “coincidental operations.”
Given Mexican Navy caution about stepping out too far in its engagements with U.S.
counterparts, planned joint operations are not conducted, but the forces have from time to
time engaged in so-called coincidental operations when vessels from each force are
coincidentally in the same operating area at the same time.
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More Complexity
This analysis has focused on the manner in which the creation of NORTHCOM poses
new challenges for the future of U.S./Mexico security relations. While those challenges
alone are significant, the optimal advancement of the relationship depends further upon a
number of other important issues. They include, at a minimum:
•
Continued maturation of the Department of Homeland Security, particularly its
organization for presenting “one face at the border” and its capacity for policy
coordination. How the Department of Homeland Security interacts with its
56
“Mexican Navy Seizes Two Tons of Cocaine,” Ireland On-Line, 22 October 2004 (accessed 27 February
2005); available from http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=121671334&p=yzy67zx4x.
57
Efforts to quantify the number and frequency of these activities via the Coast Guard’s Office of the Assistant
Commandant for Operations and the Office of Law Enforcement in the Eleventh Coast Guard District were
unsuccessful.
Convention