Surinamese port officials forwarded information about the suspicious vessel to port officials in Guyana, who stopped the ship, questioned the crew and found the cocaine. Airmen from the U.S. 12th Air Force recently spent four weeks training members of the Chilean Air Force maintenance procedures for F-16 Fighting Falcons and instructed them in the use of night vision goggles. Collaboration between Guyanese and Surinamese port officials led to the seizure of more than 120 kilograms of cocaine from a ship that was expected to leave Guyana for Europe, Kurshid Sattaur, commissioner of the Guyana Revenue Authority, said on January 6. “It was really rewarding to work with them, but the partnership that we’ve developed with them has been very instrumental,” he said in a prepared statement. “Sometimes it’s not about the assistance that you provide, but what you can learn from the individuals you’re assisting, and during this trip I’ve learned a lot from the Chilean Air Force.” Master Sergeant Jeremy Jacobs, a 12th Air Force Tactical Aircraft Manager who led the training session, said the experience was extremely positive. “It was really rewarding to work with them, but the partnership that we’ve developed with them has been very instrumental,” he said in a prepared statement. “Sometimes it’s not about the assistance that you provide, but what you can learn from the individuals you’re assisting, and during this trip I’ve learned a lot from the Chilean Air Force.” Jacobs’ team worked with members of the Chilean Air Force at several bases. Collaboration between Guyanese and Surinamese port officials led to the seizure of more than 120 kilograms of cocaine from a ship that was expected to leave Guyana for Europe, Kurshid Sattaur, commissioner of the Guyana Revenue Authority, said on January 6. The 12th Air Force has spent the past 15 months in the cities of Iquique and Antofagasta working with the Chilean Air Force as part of the U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) goal of bolstering international cooperation through sustained engagement. Guyana and Suriname work together to make large drug seizure Port officials found the cocaine, which has a street value of about $10 million, on January 5 while searching the ship MV Delta Diedre. The vessel was registered in Cyprus and scheduled to make stops in Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. The 12th Air Force has spent the past 15 months in the cities of Iquique and Antofagasta working with the Chilean Air Force as part of the U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) goal of bolstering international cooperation through sustained engagement. Surinamese port officials forwarded information about the suspicious vessel to port officials in Guyana, who stopped the ship, questioned the crew and found the cocaine. Master Sergeant Jeremy Jacobs, a 12th Air Force Tactical Aircraft Manager who led the training session, said the experience was extremely positive. “This experience has been both useful and important for both sides and has brought us closer together for the overall goal of success,” Chilean Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrés Bahamondes-Velásquez said. The 12th Air Force works in cooperation with Armed Forces in Central America, South America and the Caribbean to fight drug trafficking and improve security. “Working with the members from the United States Air Force has been amazing,” Chilean Air Force Senior Airman Pedro Aguilera, a Life Support Technician, said in a prepared statement. “Their knowledge of the different systems is great, but I think the part that amazed me was when I was able to actually assist them and showed them a few different ways to do things that make the different pieces of the equipment last longer and make common tasks more efficient.” Guyana and Suriname work together to make large drug seizure By Dialogo January 12, 2015 Jacobs’ team worked with members of the Chilean Air Force at several bases. “This experience has been both useful and important for both sides and has brought us closer together for the overall goal of success,” Chilean Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrés Bahamondes-Velásquez said. Port officials found the cocaine, which has a street value of about $10 million, on January 5 while searching the ship MV Delta Diedre. The vessel was registered in Cyprus and scheduled to make stops in Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. “Working with the members from the United States Air Force has been amazing,” Chilean Air Force Senior Airman Pedro Aguilera, a Life Support Technician, said in a prepared statement. “Their knowledge of the different systems is great, but I think the part that amazed me was when I was able to actually assist them and showed them a few different ways to do things that make the different pieces of the equipment last longer and make common tasks more efficient.” “It was the joint intelligence that generated this trap,” Sattaur said. He didn’t immediately disclose who is believed to have owned the cocaine or if any arrests were made in connection with the seizure. The 12th Air Force works in cooperation with Armed Forces in Central America, South America and the Caribbean to fight drug trafficking and improve security. “It was the joint intelligence that generated this trap,” Sattaur said. He didn’t immediately disclose who is believed to have owned the cocaine or if any arrests were made in connection with the seizure. Airmen from the U.S. 12th Air Force recently spent four weeks training members of the Chilean Air Force maintenance procedures for F-16 Fighting Falcons and instructed them in the use of night vision goggles.
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