More Maritime Rat Lines

Illicit sea routes move men, money, and materials globally in support of humanitarian, criminal, and sometimes more nefarious causes. Three examples:

Here is an interesting article on the Terrorist Triangle between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Southern Philippines. Ken Comer accurately describes the political and military reasons that these routes endure.

Before their defeat in 2009, Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers had a robust maritime smuggling network, owning a fleet of blue water cargo vessels. Many illicit smuggling routes are enduring and resilient; rather than disappearing, they often find new customers and new products to move. One wonders what has become of the LTTE ships involved in these rat lines. This report might be an indicator that the lines are still in business.

Closer to home, it looks like the illicit sea routes between Mexico and Southern California are increasing.

“Among other incidents, these apprehensions included smugglers towing a surfboard with marijuana, illegal immigrants on jet skis, three U.S. teens with about half a ton of marijuana on their boat, a panga with 23 illegal immigrants on board, and a small Zodiac boat with 10 duffel bags with marijuana on the deck, an agency spokeswoman said.”

The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author alone and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Defense or any of its agencies.