March 31, 2023: U.S. Ambassador Henry Jardine participated in the ceremony marking the end of a successful maritime bilateral operation with the Seychelles Defence Force this morning at the Seychelles Defence Academy Auditorium.
U.S. Special Advisor for Seychelles Affairs James Donegan, U.S. Brigadier General Peter G. Bailey, Seychellois Minister for Internal Affairs Charles Fonseka, Seychellois Chief of Defence Brigadier Rosette, Seychelles Defence Forces Chief of Staff Colonel Attala, heads of all military departments in Seychelles and members of the Seychelles Coast Guard were present at the ceremony.
The U.S. Coast Guard partnered with the Seychelles Coast Guard to ensure the safety of the Seychellois maritime environs. The combined U.S. and Seychellois crew successfully patrolled the Seychellois EEZ and investigated various contacts of interest, conducting three queries and three boardings, to include the boarding of fishing vessel Fish Finder with prohibited catch onboard.
The maritime bilateral operation is a result of the bilateral agreement concerning counter illicit transnational maritime activity operations that was signed in July 2021 by the U.S. and Seychellois Governments. The agreement provided the authority for joint shiprider law enforcement and counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) proliferation operations.
From March 23 to 30, a combined U.S.-Seychellois operation involving the embarkation of a Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) from the U.S. Coast Guard on a Seychellois vessel for a counter-illicit maritime operations patrol was conducted in the Seychellois EEZ.
This was the first operationalization of the July 2021 bilateral agreement. This morning’s closing ceremony celebrated the successful completion of this inaugural combined patrol, which involved an eight-person U.S. team from TACLET Pacific, as well as three other officers from the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. TACLET team embarked on the SCGS Zoroaster for the patrol.
In his remarks, Brig. Gen. Bailey said, “These operations are just a recent advancement in a long friendship. Our forces have sailed together numerous times during exercise CUTLASS EXPRESS, and the United States particularly appreciates the Seychelles’ contribution to Combined Maritime Forces. We enjoy a truly cooperative partnership. Through working together, we learn together, advancing our shared knowledge, experience, and interoperability.” Read full remarks.
Read U.S. Ambassador Henry Jardine’s remarks.
