Jenniffer González gains more resources for security

San Juan, Puerto Rico- Congresswoman Jenniffer González Colón, became the godmother of the new Coast Guard cutter in Puerto Rico, the Joseph Doyle, a quick response cutter (WPC- 1133), which will carry out different maritime security functions such as intercepting drug trafficking activities.

"Today we are making history as Puerto Rico becomes the sector within the Coast Guard with the largest number of fast response vessels and cutters. Out of the 33 cutters distributed throughout the nation, Puerto Rico now has 7 of them. Today we welcome the USCGC Joseph Doyle, which I am honored to be the godmother and it will be commanded by a woman, as the most modern cutter in the entire nation. This is part of the work we have been doing in collaboration with the Coast Guard and other agencies so Puerto Rico can have the necessary resources to guarantee the safety of our coasts as well as combating drug trafficking.", said Congresswoman Gonzalez.

The "cutter" honors the memory of Joseph O. Doyle who was born in Canada on April 17, 1836 and was appointed as guardian of the Life Rescue Station of Charlotte, New York as part of the United States' Lifesaving Service United. From that position he made two heroic rescues that earned him the Gold Medal of Lifesaving.

The cutter will be commanded by Lieutenant Catherine Gillen and will count with 33 crew members.

This new cutter on the island is part of the work in conjunction with the Coast Guard and the leadership of Cap. King. The Congresswoman has introduced legislation and led multiple efforts with different federal agencies to ensure that in Puerto Rico they have the necessary resources, such as the "cutter" Joseph Doyle to watch over life and property and fight drug trafficking.

At the beginning of this Congress, the Congresswoman established communication with the Department of National Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice demanding greater resources for the island, technical assistance and resources of law and order.

DHS responded that the Seventh Coast Guard District, to which Puerto Rico belongs, is committed to providing additional resources to the San Juan Sector under the Operation UNIFIED RESOLVE (OPUR) program in support of operations against drugs and illicit trafficking in the waters surrounding Puerto Rico.

The "cutter" commissioned today serves as a primary resource in support of search and rescue missions, the fight against drug trafficking by sea, the interdiction of illegal immigrant trips, national defense and security, and the protection of natural resources. and the marine environment, among other missions of the Coast Guard.

In addition, DHS reported that they would begin to execute Operation CAST NET, a joint effort led by the Joint Task Force East focused on the transactions of criminal organizations that transport opioids, narcotics and illicit weapons to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

In 2018, the Congresswoman introduced the Maritime Border Security Review Act approved by the House and was eventually enacted into law as part of the FAA 2018 Reauthorization Act to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a detailed threat analysis of the United States' maritime border, including the transit zone (a seven million square-mile area, roughly twice the size of the continental U.S., that includes the sea corridors of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific Ocean) and the borders and territorial waters of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Additionally, the Congresswoman led an effort that included bipartisan letter urging the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to update the geographically-focused strategies accompanying the National Drug Control Strategy, including the Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy, which by law should be updated every two years and it has not been updated since 2015.

González Colón secured language in the report accompanying the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill of 2020 requiring the Department of Justice to prioritize the law enforcement personnel and resources to address violent crime in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. This requires the Attorney General to report on current or planned efforts by the Department to prevent, reduce, and address violent crime in the U.S. Caribbean territories.