A human barrier against
drug trafficking

Ortelio González & Román Romero, Text & photos

JARDINES DEL REY, Ciego de Ávila.—A barrier preventing illicit drugs from entering the country exists in the sea off the northern coast of Ciego de Ávila. Not the 10-kilometer coral reef - considered the second largest of its kind worldwide – but rather a human barrier composed of Border Guards (TGF) and their collaborators who are always on the look-out for aerial drops or boat-to-boat transfers of packages containing marijuana or cocaine.

The northern coast of this central province is frequented by drug traffickers given its proximity to the Bahamas Channel, a traditional route to the United States, the world largest narcotics market.

It is no accident that this year 13 finds have been made, during which authorities confiscated 190 kilograms of marijuana and one of cocaine.

"On occasion, the containers hit the reef, break open and the packages are dispersed, making the search more complicated. But, in any circumstances, our forces are mobilized to ensure that the drugs do not reach the interior of the country or fall into the hands of unscrupulous persons who would sell them or make use of them," said Major Ricardo Marrero Pozo, with the Border Guards North-Central Detachment.

"Trafficking in these substances," he continued, "has decreased in our geographic area over the last few years as a result of the intensification of actions to confront this illicit activity. It has been noted that drug traffickers have changed their modus operandi, which implies more effort and training for the troops who participate in the operations."

On the morning of his first day on the water as a TGF agent, Osmel Prado Fernández was wondering what it would be like to encounter a package of drugs, if he ever did… and it happened that very day.

While patrolling the coastline near Cayo Mégano Grande, he and his colleagues saw a package in the water. Without delay they communicated their sighting of a suspicious object to the captain and the order was given to move closer and investigate.

In fact, floating in the turquoise water was a container of drugs. The captain emphasized carefully capturing the package.

"We pulled it close with the bichero [docking hook], and two of us soldiers grabbed it, to pull it up, and once it was on deck we looked it over to make sure. Once we ascertained that it was drugs, we reported to the TGF command post via the communications equipment we have on the boat," Osmel recounted.

Pleased to have contributed to preventing the arrival of marijuana on the Cuban mainland, the 19-year-old commented about his commitment to life as a sailor and to the border patrol’s work.

"I was born in Baraguá and there, on the southern coast of Ciego de Ávila, I began to identify with the world of the sea and boats. My father taught me the fundamentals, as we went from La Boca to the Félix and Muerto cays, fairly distant from the mainland."

"My time in the General Military Service contributed to reaffirming this sailor’s vocation. That’s why I hope to complete a ship captain’s course with the TGF, which would allow me to continue in work I consider very important."

Among those redoubling efforts to prevent the appearance of drugs in Cuba are the Mirando al Mar (Watching the Sea) detachments formed by Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), and advised by the TGF to effectively confront this problem and any other illicit activity on the water, such as illegal exits, infiltrations, espionage, pirate attacks, violations of territorial water limits; in other words, any activity undertaken by adversaries of the Revolution.

In the province of Ciego de Avila there are five groups of this kind defending the coastline, two in Punta Alegre, on the northern coast; the same number on the southern coast in Júcaro and one on Turiguanó Island.

"We are conscious of the impact of drug-trafficking in our region. That’s why we value very highly the support these detachments provide us in difficult situations," said Lieutenant Carlos Alberto González García, a TGF captain for the last 19 years.