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Letters & CommentsRobert Watts
CDR Bob Watts is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and has served six tours at sea conducting drug/migrant operations, most recently commanding the USCGC STEADFAST (WMEC 623). He is currently assigned as the chief of drug and migrant interdiction at Coast Guard Headquarters, where his responsibilities include drafting migrant policy and strategy, including planning for mass migration. A 2006 graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, he has advanced degrees from the Naval War College, Old Dominion University, American Military University, and is a doctoral candidate at the Royal Military College of Canada.
Caribbean Maritime Migration: Challenges for the New Millennium
ABSTRACT:
Caribbean maritime migration is a growing problem and a potential humanitarian crisis.
As economic and political conditions worsen throughout the region, the numbers of migrants attempting to reach the U.S. by sea is growing exponentially,
creating instability throughout the region and a significant threat to U.S. sovereignty and security.
The threat itself is extremely diverse, ranging from complex criminal networks specializing in smuggling to unexpected surges in humanitarian migration.
A successful strategy to meet this threat will rely on a number of elements, including strategic deterrence, coordinated interagency interdiction,
and above all emphasizing safety of life at sea.
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SUGGESTED CITATION:
Watts, Robert B. “Caribbean Maritime Migration: Challenges for the New Millennium.” Homeland Security Affairs , Supplement no. 2 (2008)http://www.hsaj.org/?special:article=supplement.2.6