Ten Years of SEACOP in the Caribbean

Starting with a few training sessions back in 2015, the EU Seaport Cooperation Project (SEACOP) has led to enhanced maritime security by combating illicit trafficking at sea in the region.

Deployed across three strategic regions affected by maritime trafficking, Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa, SEACOP, it is now a cornerstone of the region’s maritime security efforts, helping national authorities from 13 countries tackle transnational illicit trafficking through intelligence sharing, inter-agency coordination and training.

“The Caribbean is unique by virtue of its geographical location,” explains Alexander Kellman, SEACOP’s Deputy Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, and himself a participant in the very first cohort of trainees back in 2015 in Barbados. “It sits right between the source and consumer markets, becoming as such a natural transit zone for criminal networks.”

While local consumption is limited, the region’s geography and porous maritime borders make it an ideal corridor for illicit shipments. Criminal organizations exploit this vulnerability, using the region’s vast maritime space to move everything from narcotics and ammunition to counterfeit goods, live animals and endangered flora.

“Unfortunately, small island nations don’t always have the resources, financial but also human, to respond to those threats effectively. This is where SEACOP comes