REPORTING FROM THE

HOSTILE CARIBBEAN

UNCC / NBC
Reporter: Harrison Auten

EMBARKING ON THE
JOURNEY
The Coast Guard is home to over 50,000
employees.
Maritime security and life safety/conservation are
the main goals of the service.
Operates around 2,000 ships/boats and 200 +
The flight to the cutter ship
aircraft.
Sherman
Saves thousands of lives from imminent danger
every year.
Coast Guard Sector 7 alongside Air Station Clearwater, Fl. Assisted
our news crew on the developing story of the War on Drugs.
This was a three week endeavoring story that consisted of 2 weeks on
a ship and one week on a air facility in the islands of the Caribbean.

FIRST WEEK AT SEAON DEPLOYMENT

I landed on the Sherman which was idled in the middle of the
Caribbean Sea.
I was welcome for 2 weeks aboard the high-endurance cutter.
We received intel of a un-responsive boat approaching U.S.
waters about a week into the exploration.
Just like that the operation was in full swing as we steamed
ahead to interdict the vessel.

We soon intercepted the ship on radar

and began to inch closer and closer.

THE BIG REVEAL

Background information revealed it was a Panamanian

container ship signified by call sign Gatun motor vessel.
The Law Enforcement Detachment from the Sherman
boarded the Gatun without warning due to suspicious
activity.
Onboard 42,000 lbs. of cocaine were discovered in the
cargo hold.
This was the largest drug bust by the Coast Guard in U.S.
history
FYI: This single drug bust alone would produce enough
revenue for 10,000 college students to attend full rides.

After detaining the drugs and

the
smugglers we were in route
to port for a scheduled
offload.
The contraband was later
estimated to
be worth over 600 million

O.P.B.A.T. TOUR

Air Station Clearwater Florida operates 3 air facilities in the

Caribbean.
These bases are occupied for the sole purpose of drug and
migrant interdiction.
OPBAT, (Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos) helps bring
the fight to the War rather than the War to our shores.

Stationed for a full week at

Great Inagua Island, Bahamas,
our crew witnessed first hand
3 narcotic removal operations.

FOR THE RECORD

The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency in maritime safety and security as well
as drug interdiction.
Annually, the service alone, seizes 80,000 lbs. of marijuana and 200,000 lbs. of
cocaine.
Totaled to be a net worth of over 6 billion dollars. (over 75% of U.S.C.G. Budget)
The smugglers clear massive amounts of money each move.
Resulting in the ability to purchase highly sophisticated equipment such as
submarines and drone planes. (pictured above)
The estimate of drugs interdicted and incinerated and fail to make it on U.S.
streets is only 10 %
The War on Drugs is not conversed quite as often now but is still very much
active, and in terms of revenue and profit, the smugglers are winning.
Considering the assets provided, the U.S. Coast Guard performs a remarkable duty and
service to our country and goes above and beyond patrolling a tiny harbor.

REPORTING: SPECIAL THANKS TO

AIR STATION CLEARWATER FL.

We would like to recognize the U.S. Coast Guards O.P.B.A.T. and

the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron HITRON for there role
in transportation and safety of me and the film crew.

SOURCES:
ON BEHALF ON UNCC / NBC WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE
FOLLOWING:

"Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT)."

USCG: OPBAT (Nassau, Bahamas). Web. 19 Apr.
2015.
"(HITRON) Jacksonville." USCG HITRON
Jacksonville. Web. 19
Apr. 2015.
<http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/HITRON/>.
"Office of Law Enforcement (CG-MLE)." Migrant
Interdiction (CG-5313). Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg531/Drugs/stats.as
p>.
"Coast Guard Cutter Sherman Record Drug
Offload." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

GENRE EXPLANATION
I chose this specific genre of a PowerPoint because it is extremely user
friendly for both me and the audience. It was simply to incorporate lively
and detailed pictures as well as tell my story from the frontlines in the War
on Drugs. The genre type seems to flow well and is easily received by all.
Bullet listing helped distinguish the steps within my journey as a reporter
and allow for easy transactions within my presentation. Over break I went on
a diving trip in which one of our days was canceled due to rough seas, the
only free and interesting activity locally was visiting the busiest and largest
Coast Guard Air Station. I knew this would help me capture a great story and
could provide you all with cool pictures. The PowerPoint Genre was the
easiest presenting method for me.