For years, the ongoing and deadly drug trade has been glamorized in many social circles, and on television, as Netflix and other entertainment channels have highlighted the intricacies of the drug world, including how islands like Puerto Rico are at the heart of the narcotics transit world and could play a pivotal role in U.S. national security.
In Netflix’s “Dope” mini-series, the illicit drug trade runs directly through Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory that could become a state after the November 5 general election when voters on the island will decide if they wish to become the 51st State of the Union.,
The case can be made that if Puerto Rico becomes a state, significant U.S. resources will be channeled to the island to not only combat the drug trade but could bolster U.S. military presence in the region that could prove to be a deterrent for any Russian and/or Chinese posturing alongside their ally, Communist Cuba.
Since the Biden administration took hold of the U.S. government, both China and Russia have taken the opportunity to increase their footprint in the Western Hemisphere, and have even taunted the perceived weak military might of the Biden Department of Defense.
In a move seen as nothing less than provocating and smack to American military dominance, Russian warships, and submarines entered Cuban waters, causing U.S. Republican lawmakers to question Democrats’ real motives for supporting “liberty and freedom.”
"It shows that they [Democrats] don't care about liberty and freedom. If you're open to a relationship with Cuba, you don't give a damn about the people in Cuba. I mean, they're living in misery," said Sen. Rick Scott.
Puerto Rico already has a U.S. military base that could further deter adversarial nations like Russia and China from flaunting their respective militaries in the faces of Americans, if more naval or air support is brought into the region.
When it comes to the drug trade, statehood would bring in more resources to help bolster U.S. immigration, law enforcement, and security efforts to combat existing maritime drug smuggling operations.
In a recent finding from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Coast Guard’s San Juan Sector is Ground Zero for illicit drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean.
Unfortunately, the report shows that the Coast Guard, which is part of the U.S. Military, is woefully underfunded and faces significant obstacles that “hinder its drug interdiction mission efforts,” efforts that target drugs like cocaine and Fentanyl.
The GAO report Findings are:
(1) Asset readiness and availability
(2) Acquisition challenges
(3) Workforce shortages
In addition, the GAO has reported that Coast Guard vessels are not meeting the necessary mission readiness to complete their directives.
“Coast Guard aircraft and vessels have not met availability targets. In 2023, GAO reported that Medium Endurance Cutters—a key asset for interdicting drugs—were not consistently meeting operational availability targets. The Coast Guard noted that the declining condition of the cutters risked decreased capability for meeting mission requirements.
The Coast Guard faces persistent challenges managing acquisition program delays and affordability. For example, GAO found challenges with Coast Guard’s acquisition of the Offshore Patrol Cutter that is intended to replace the Medium Endurance Cutter," stated the GAO report.
There is a strong case to be made about bolstering the U.S. military and law enforcement presence in the region by adding to the existing assets in and around the Island of Puerto Rico.
Statehood for Puerto Rico appears to be a solid option to ramp up national security efforts against adversarial nations and drug cartels.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that in 2023, there were 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States, which is a small “decrease of 3% from the 111,029 deaths estimated in 2022.”
