New Naval Unit Formed

Commander of the Maritime, Air and Cyber Command (MACC), Brigadier Roderick Williams, says formation of the Second District Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard will significantly boost Jamaica’s maritime capabilities in the region.

At an official ceremony in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, on November 16, Brigadier Williams said the new naval unit, which was formed as part of the expansion of the JDF, is designed to increase the security presence in the maritime space and to be able to better counter drug and weapon trafficking, illicit fishing, and other nefarious activities.

“We have long recognised the importance of strengthening our maritime capabilities to stop or reduce the guns-for-drug trade as well as to preserve the integrity of Jamaica’s territorial waters,” he noted.

Brigadier Williams said that Jamaica’s land mass and size, in addition to being strategically located between the illicit markets (both sellers and buyers), make the island susceptible to transnational crimes and other national-security risks.

He added that the new naval unit could not have been formed at a better time, noting that the coast guard will now have the additional resource and manpower to make its presence felt in a significant way in the region.

“What we have basically accomplished is that we are able to add another naval unit to expand the coast guard. We are an island in the Caribbean Sea that happens to have significantly more maritime responsibilities that far exceed the size of our land mass. Our primary area of responsibility is about 515,000 square kilometres in size. It is very important that we have this space under control,” Brigadier Williams emphasised.

He said the main objective is to sever the links between the domestic criminal organisations and the transnational ones, thereby stemming the illicit flows into the country.

“When you talk about illicit flows… you are talking about illicit flows of everything, not just guns and ammunitions or narcotics as you would expect… but everything that you can imagine, which is illicit, is flowing through this space due to our strategic location between major consumers and major markets,” Brigadier Williams noted.

He added that the JDF continues to evolve over time and that the formation of the new naval unit is evidence that the country takes its maritime responsibilities very seriously and has no plans to yield even an inch of ground to those who are hell-bent on committing illicit activities in the maritime space.

“This is why it’s important that we are investing and are building out our maritime capabilities,” Brigadier Williams said.