Even so, the Coast Guard annually seizes three times the amount of cocaine confiscated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Coast Guard now stops its pursuit and alerts Mexican authorities if suspicious boats cross into their territorial waters. Treaties with nations such as Colombia have allowed U.S. authorities more latitude, such as permitting Coast Guard officers to board Colombian-flagged ships. The Coast Guard has been criticized for holding suspects on ships where they cannot easily access lawyers. Shirk said joint operations could lead “to serious violations of suspects’ rights at sea and possible human rights violations in the process.”Coast Guard officials say they respect suspects’ rights.

Source: National Post March 29, 2018 06:50 UTC