Volume 9
Champions Edition
“ We are fighting a transnational threat ,” JIATF- S Director Tomney explained . “ No one nation , including the United States , has all the tools , all the capabilities , and all the resources to go it alone . By working together ,” he said , “ we can bring stability to the region and keep more than drugs in check .”
The task force has other technical means at its disposal , but intelligence gained through human and other sources is critical to the process .
‘ A Seat at the Table ’
“ To have the FBI fully integrated within the Department of Defense to disturb and dismantle violent networks supports a whole of government approach and takes the fight to them , before it affects us at home .”
The crew of a self-propelled semi-submersible ( SPSS ) vessel prepares to abandon their boat before being intercepted and detained by the Coast Guard northwest of the Colombia-Ecuador border in 2009 . ( U . S . Coast Guard photo )
“ The FBI doesn ’ t have planes or ships at JIATF- S ,” said Kevin Lopez , also a former Coast Guard officer who joined the FBI to work on the task force . “ The Bureau provides information that will help the task force position its aircraft and ships to locate that go-fast or SPSS .”
As successful as JIATF-S has been , Chianella and others estimate that the drugs interdicted annually represent only about 20 percent of the total amount being smuggled into the U . S . “ As long as there ’ s a demand for cocaine or any illicit contraband in the United States ,” he said , “ the cartels and criminal networks will find a way to move their product .”
The drug trade , added the Dominican Republic ’ s Jose-Vasquez , “ is like an energy — you cannot destroy it ; it only transforms in another manner . This problem is a reality that we have and that we have to work against ,” he said . “ Working together makes us stronger . Being in this organization provides us with better tools to work against these common threats .”
Brett Chianella , vice director , JIATF-S
In December 2015 , Special Agent Brett Chianella , who leads the FBI ’ s team at JIATF-S , was appointed vice director of the task force — the first FBI fully integrated Department of Defense position . Chianella ’ s new role is meant to further leverage the Bureau ’ s intelligence gathering abilities and to acknowledge the important role the FBI plays in the continuing success of the task force .
The position underscores how unified the FBI is with the Department of Defense in carrying out the task force ’ s mission — to monitor and detect the most violent illicit traffickers in the Western Hemisphere and to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations .
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