drug trafficking

ADF STAFF With cocaine trafficking at its highest recorded level, West Africa is battling both crime and addiction. The region has historically been a transit region for cocaine as it made its way from South America to Europe, but…

ADF STAFF The Guinean Navy found more than 1.5 tons of cocaine on board a fishing vessel off the coast during an inspection in early April. The seizure illustrates a trend in West Africa, where at least 57 tons of cocaine were seized…

ADF STAFF Porous borders and weak enforcement have turned certain regions into highways for international drug trafficking, which in turn fuels insurgencies and conflicts. West Africa in particular has become the transit hub for drugs…

ADF STAFF United States Coast Guard (USCG) Ensign Mohammad Diakite and members of the Togolese Navy rushed toward a man down on the deck of the USCG Cutter Spencer in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. They were participating in a medical…

The war-weary people of Casamance are desperate for peace, but timber and cannabis trafficking continue to fuel conflict. An agreement signed in August 2022 between a factional leader of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance…

ADF STAFF As Mozambique tries to quell illegal fishing, drug trafficking and other maritime security threats in its waters, the U.S. has provided a 10-meter coastal patrol boat to its Navy. Mozambican Navy officials also participated…

ADF STAFF As nations emerge from the pandemic, they are trying to boost economic growth wherever possible. One focus is the “blue economy,” made up of the businesses that rely on water to thrive. This sector, which includes energy,…

ADF STAFF Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced at least nine different coup attempts. The most recent plot, in February, shared similarities with others in that it involved members of the military who are…

ADF STAFF The Baba Ali, a Seychellois fishing vessel, was passing through the Seychelles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) when authorities intercepted it in May 2021. Through an operation coordinated by the Seychelles Air Force,…

ADF STAFF Cabo Verdean police intercepted a boat in early April suspected to be involved with international drug trafficking. The Brazilian boat contained more than 5 tons of cocaine. The operation, which included help from the United…