President Javier Milei received this Monday the USCGC Coast Guard Cutter James, from the North American Coast Guarda ship that arrived in the country and will remain until May 3, within the framework of the cooperative relationship between States, with the objective of exchanging information on security, control of the sea and protection of the environment.
The ship, 127 meters long, 16 meters wide and with 111 crew members on board, moored in Dock E of the port. The boat arrived at 6 p.m., with two officers from the Argentine Naval Prefecture. The president waited for him there, accompanied by the general secretary of the Presidency, Karina Mileithe Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrichthe United States Ambassador, Mark Stanleyand part of the Prefecture’s senior staff.
According to official information, USCGC James staff plans to participate in a working group on illegal fishing, which will take place in the Situation Room of the Coast Guard Building, and the technologies that are applied to control it. In addition, they will visit the Force Aviation Service, the Communications Directorate and the Coast Guard Ship Service.
“It should be noted that since 2001, within the framework of the Memorandum of Agreement between the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Argentine Naval Prefecture on personnel exchange, the national Maritime Authority sends an officer to provide services and perform tasks in the northern country,” the Government reported.
Also present at the Port were the National Naval Prefect, Guillermo Giménez Pérez, the Secretary of Security, Vicente Ventura Barreiro, the coordinator of Government Teams of the Ministry of Security, Alberto Fohrig, and the National Naval Subprefect, Alejandro Annichini.
Minister Bullrich, for her part, described the visit as historic and stressed that it is a significant step in the fight against illegal fishing in waters belonging to Argentina.
As explained by the authorities of the National Executive Branch, the members of the Prefecture worked in the Department of International Affairs in Washington DC but then, since 2017, the physical work headquarters of the exchange officer was modified, moving it to the USCG Training Center in Yorktown, State of Virginia.
For periods of two years, the exchange officers constituted the permanent link between the Institution and the USCG, and now “they assume the responsibility of promoting, developing, establishing and managing the tools that ensure full cooperation between both institutions.”
To date, there are twelve officers who have undergone this experience and have performed various functions related to promoting and channeling the flow of information in matters of maritime and port security and protection, prevention of pollution from ships and public safety. , among multiple other activities, they indicated.
The United States government, meanwhile, gave details of the crew of the Coast Guard vessel. “With a staff of 150 men and women, the USCG Cutter Jamesis one of the largest and most technologically advanced ships in the United States Coast Guard fleet,” reported the North American embassy site.
“The crew is dedicated to missions that include combating drug trafficking and monitoring illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in the Atlantic. Their work not only supports the needs of the United States, but also contributes to regional stability and security,” the diplomatic headquarters added.
The US Embassy detailed that the Cutter James is a 418-foot Legend-class national security vessel, homeported in North Charleston, South Carolina. “Its design provides better seakeeping, higher sustained transit speeds, greater endurance and range, and the ability to launch and recover small vessels from the stern, as well as providing aviation support facilities and a deck for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles,” he specified.
