Speaking to more than 75 West African sailors and government officials from more than a dozen nations, U.S. Africa Command's civilian deputy said illegal narcotics trafficking, illegal fishing and other criminal activities are an important part of maritime security.

Drug trafficking is "a billion-dollar industry and it is going to do no good for the people of West Africa," Ambassador Mary C. Yates said March 2, 2009, aboard the Africa Partnership Station ship USS Nashville. The APS Nashville is on a five-month tour of West African nations to promote international cooperation.

"The focus of the trip is to look at the illegal trafficking, the illicit trafficking in people, in narcotics, also the illegal fishing," Yates said of her February 26 to March 3 visit to Cape Verde and Ghana. Yates is U.S. AFRICOM's deputy to the commander for civil-military activities.

Yates noted that she had just visited U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Miami, Florida. U.S. SOUTHCOM coordinates U.S. military relationships with Latin American and has worked closely with international law enforcement authorities to address narcotics trafficking in Central and South America. In recent efforts, Latin American drug traffickers have begun shipping cocaine to Europe via the mid-Atlantic and West Africa.

"The Southern Command and the Africa Command want to work together," Yates said. "The narcotics traffickers are coming from Latin America. So we must work in both a law enforcement and military camaraderie between our two commands and then with our African and South American partners to address these issues."

A transcript of Yates' remarks can be viewed at http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=2785.