Maritime Law Enforcement in the Eastern Caribbean

The Eastern Caribbean faces maritime threats from transnational criminal organizations, that take advantage of the region’s porous borders to traffic illicit firearms, drugs, and people. To support the member states of the Regional Security System (RSS)—including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—to develop a unified operational approach for confronting maritime crime, Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) designed and delivered a project to build the capacity of the RSS and its member states to conduct maritime law enforcement operations and investigations, dismantle transnational organized crime, and streamline criminal justice procedures.

SCG implemented the Eastern Caribbean Organized Crime Investigations Project in support of the Regional Security System (RSS) and the U.S. Government’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) for the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) from 2019-2021. The project focused on increasing the capacity of the RSS, including the Member States of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to conduct maritime law enforcement operations, criminal investigations, and internal investigations. Activities included:

• Development of an RSS Maritime Law Enforcement Concept of Operations (MLE CONOPS), including Standing Orders and an institutionalized training system.

• Establishment and training of an Eastern Caribbean Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Task Force and the development of 19 SOPs to support Task Force investigations, including procedures on evidence handling, search warrants, and information sharing. SCG compiled all final SOPs into a TOC Task Force Operational Procedures Guide.   

• Creation of an Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) focused on increasing professionalism, accountability, and transparency regarding criminal investigation and matters of internal affairs – to include an emphasis on anti-corruption and establishing a formal complaint system associated with Task Force criminal investigations and regular activity.  

• Establishment of governing policies and procedures for the OPR and an OPR Operational Procedures Guide and trainings for personnel on their use.  

• Stand up of a Bi-Annual Prosecutor’s Case Review Meeting with the regional Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) offices. Parties established a regional prosecutorial coordination mechanism to guide investigative strategies, provide prosecutorial oversight, and exchange information on concerns and good practices.

Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) is a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the ability of the United States and its partners to build strategic security sector capacity both at home and abroad. SCG assists donor and recipient governments to assess institutional capacity, identify gaps, develop and implement solutions, and improve the sustainability and impact of reform.

SCG’s Institution Building Program enhances the strategic capacity of security services, ministries of defense, interior, and public security, andoperational and combatant commands to improve the sustainability and impact of modernization and reform programs. This is accomplished by:

• Providing guidance to address policy and implementation gaps;
• Assessing institution-building needs;
• Designing and implementing capacity building support to meet identified needs; and
• Advising on best practices to institutionalize enhanced processes and procedures to meet the recipient institution’s mission and goals.

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