Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego
Story by Cpl. Kristin Moreno SAN DIEGO -- Since 1933, the Coast Guard has been an essential part of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Without the Coast Guard Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team, composed of eight different law enforcement detachments, the coastline would be left unprotected and waters unsecured.
Law Enforcement Detachment 106 captures a cocaine-laden Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. LEDET 106 recovered six tons of cocaine and four drug smugglers during the mission. Courtesy Photo
Their main mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct and support maritime law enforcement, such as counter narcotics and terrorism, alien migrant interdiction, maritime interception, counter piracy and homeland security.
With only approximately 115 service members and the only other tactical law enforcement team more than 2,600 miles away, that leaves one of the largest areas of responsibility in the Coast Guard in the PACTACLET’s more-than-capable hands.
They cover everything from the Northern Arabian Gulf to the territory of Guam and the Caribbean, but their area of responsibility doesn’t stop there.
“Since PACTACLET is a deployable force, we can be sent anywhere,” said Lt. j.g. Michael Holt, Law Enforcement Detachment 103 officer-in-charge. “Our typical patrols are in the [U.S. Southern Command] area of responsibility, but we’ve also deployed overseas to Greece and Bahrain. We can potentially go wherever there’s a need.”
Depending on the operation tempo, various law enforcement detachments can deploy at once.
The U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team has been part of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego since 1933. Their main mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct and support maritime law enforcement, such as counter narcotics and terrorism, alien migrant interdiction, maritime interception, counter piracy and homeland security. Courtesy Photo
“We ultimately take over the vessel we’re deployed on,” said Chief Petty Officer Mark Enzo-Rodriguez, maritime enforcement specialist chief and detachment chief. “Sometimes the crew is experienced enough and knows what we do, but we always brief them on what the unit will do on ship and the authority we have.”
When not deploying for missions, their daily routine revolves around mission readiness.
“New people that come in have to go through a really arduous qualification process that takes about a year to reach full qualification at this unit,” said Holt. “It’s definitely one of the hardest qualification processes I have ever been through, and everyone else here says the same thing.”
Because they don’t deal with any specific scenario on a daily basis, training is a vital part of ensuring mission readiness. Without continuous training, the units here might not be able to complete what is necessary.
However, being at MCRD San Diego puts PACTACLET at a slight advantage. It allows PACTACLET to utilize resources that normally wouldn’t be available to Coast Guard units, such as the range, rappel tower and swim tank equipped with a 10-foot platform.
Holt said PACTACLET gets to train in assault forces that Marines use, like room and house clearing and close movement with weapons. They go out much more geared than most Coast Guard teams and only about five percent of the Coast Guard will ever experience what they’re able to do on a Marine Corps base.
PACTACLET has recently qualified five TACLET deployable team leaders, eight boarding officers and 45 boarding team members. They have also made a port-of-call to Havana, Cuba, while embarked on HMS Manchester where they engaged in discussions pertaining to maritime law enforcement operations in the Caribbean.
A law enforcement boarding team member displays two bricks of cocaine found during a counter-narcotics interception operation. Courtesy Photo
Within the last 12 months, PACTACLETS LEDETs deployed on 10 U.S. and allied naval vessels and conducted 28 counter-drug boardings, resulting in the interdiction of 8 go-fast vessels. They removed 4,800 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated street value of more than $72 million. Also, LEDET 104 assisted the Panamanian Coast Guard in intercepting and recovering 46 bales of contraband and LEDET 103 achieved a cocaine bust of 675 kilos valued more than $15 million. In August 2010, PACTACLET was awarded the United States Interdiction Coordinator Award for their performance in the surface interdiction of illegal drugs during fiscal year 2009.
“We see a difference in military bearing and professionalism on a Marine Corps base,” said Holt. “It allows us to strive to be better and accomplish higher goals.
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