CARIBBEAN SEA — As Task Group 40.7 continues to patrol the western Caribbean, one group embarked aboard the USS Wasp has performed the role of apprehending and detaining drug smugglers. That group is the Coast Guard's Tactical Law Enforcement Team South.

The team consists of eight members who deploy aboard both U.S. and allied naval ships to conduct law enforcement operations in waters close to the continental United States.

"Because the Navy can't conduct direct law enforcement actions, by law we're required to be aboard as the law enforcement specialists," said the team's assistant officer-in-charge and deployable team leader. "We do counter-narcotics in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific and work with the Navy in counter-piracy."

The team's current embarkation aboard Wasp marks the first time they have deployed with an amphibious assault ship, as they mostly conduct operations aboard frigates. So far, it has been a successful partnership, said the team's officer-in-charge.

"This ship has much greater endurance and a larger aviation detachment, which provides greater resources for finding drug smugglers," he said. "[Amphibious carriers have] a lot of potential in terms of future counter-narcotics operations."

The Coast Guard team uses Wasp's Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats to conduct their operations of intercepting boats suspected of drug trafficking. Once these boats are apprehended, the team searches for contraband. If they find illegal items, they detain the crew, seize the vessel, and submit a case package that will aid in determining guilt or innocence.

"We don't make arrests, we detain criminals until we can get them before an organization that can put them in front of a magistrate to stand trial," said the team's deployable leader and assistant OIC.

During their operations, the law enforcement team must coordinate with several other groups, including Navy aircraft, intelligence, and the ship's tactical control, to get the job done. This is usually their greatest challenge, the OIC noted.

"Finding a happy medium in working with so many different organizations at once is a challenge," he said. "Everybody has their own job, but things usually work out in our favor."

The experiences gained being deployed on Wasp and working with various organizations has been most rewarding, according to the assistant OIC.

"It's been a pleasure working with Destroyer Squadron 40, the ship's crew, and a special thank-you to the Marine Corps pilot staff for their hard work and determination throughout this mission," he said. "Without all of these groups, we could not have gotten our job done."

Wasp is currently deployed on Southern Partnership Station-Amphib 2009 with Destroyer Squadron 40 and embarked Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force. SPS is part of the Partnership of the Americas Maritime Strategy that focuses on building interoperability and cooperation in the region to meet common challenges.