Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy visits Puerto Rico at the Invitation of the Resident Commissioner

San Juan, Puerto Rico- Following an invitation from Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL), Jim Carroll, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), arrived yesterday in Puerto Rico. He began his agenda on the western region of the Island, meeting with local and federal agencies to discuss their joint missions to combat drug trafficking and related threats along the Caribbean border of the United States.

Earlier this week, Representative González-Colón revealed that she had tested positive to the coronavirus. However, this did not prevent Puerto Rico's sole member in Congress from participating virtually in the visit, which she coordinated as part of her ongoing initiatives to enhance border security and counterdrugs operations in Puerto Rico.

The "Drug Czar's" visit to the Island started yesterday at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, where he and his team met with Captain Tina J. Peña, Commanding Officer of the Station.

Congresswoman González-Colón recently advocated for and secured funding in the Fiscal Year 2021 House Homeland Security Appropriations bill to transition Air Station Borinquen from MH-65 to MH-60 helicopters. MH-60 helicopters will improve border security mission effectiveness and search and rescue missions due to their greater capacity for people and equipment and their longer on-scene time. The Congresswoman is committed to "continue working to ensure this vital funding is included in any final FY 2021 funding bill agreed to by the House and Senate."

"A well-coordinated approach to secure the U.S. homeland requires attention to the Caribbean. We are advocating for resources to enhance border security and counterdrug operations in Puerto Rico. ONDCP Director Carroll's visit, and the recent publication of the 2020 Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy, are part of our efforts to achieve this. Today, when I spoke with Director Carroll, I thanked him once again for accepting my invitation to come to Puerto Rico and for his commitment to enhance the federal government's efforts to combat drug trafficking along the U.S. Caribbean border," said Rep. González-Colón

In Aguadilla, the ONDCP delegation continued their visit at the headquarters of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Ramey Border Patrol Sector, where they received an update from the agency's leadership about their ongoing work in Puerto Rico. Similarly, the heard from Samuel Santana, Director of the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), who provided an overview on the interagency work they carry out related to drug trafficking and other threats along the Caribbean border. They also visited the Puerto Rico Police Department's FURA Maritime Unit in Añasco to discuss state and federal counterdrug partnerships on the Island.

ONDCP Director Carroll's agenda in Puerto Rico continues today with visits to Sector San Juan of the U.S. Coast Guard and a meeting with the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.