The ship USCGC Stone of the United States Coast Guard, which is on a “multi-mission” in the South Atlantic Ocean, has arrived at the Port of Montevideo. “to counter illicit maritime activity and promote maritime law enforcement throughout the region”according to the US embassy in Uruguay.
Embassy of the United States in Uruguay
The ship arrived this Sunday at the Port of Montevideo
The arrival of the ship also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement between the United States and Uruguay, signed in 1953.
“The agreement served as the foundation of the long history of cooperation between the two democracies in defense teamstraining, and peacekeeping operations around the world that continues to thrive today,” the embassy says.
The Stone is one of the newest and most technologically sophisticated ships in the US Coast Guard. She arrived this Sunday, from Charleston, South Carolina, in his second visit to the country in two years. The previous one was in January 2021. The deployment of the ship “focuses on developing partnerships and increasing US interoperability with South American nations to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing”.
Embassy of the United States in Uruguay
The “Stone is the ninth Legend-class homeland security cutter in the United States Coast Guard Fleet
On the other hand, Captain Clinton Carlson, commander of the Stone, maintained that “The presence of US maritime security forces in South American waters is not unusual.”
“Many of the illicit actors operating in this region they come from all over the world to fish in the exclusive economic zones of other nations. Partnering with the maritime forces of these nations allows us to identify those who are violating the maritime sovereignty of our partners, fishing migratory species to near extinction and affecting the economic livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on sustainable fish stocks,” he explained.
The Stone’s 2021 visit, had a similar mission on port security and the threats posed by IUU fishing, as well as como to help facilitate safe and legal trade and sea travel in the area.
Colonel Brian Symon, Defense Attaché at the US Embassy in Uruguay, stressed that Stone “has a mission, that of ensure law enforcement so that the oceans are protected from illegal activities of all kinds.”
Embassy of the United States in Uruguay
Colonel Symon in dialogue with the national press
“During your stay, we plan to carry out exercises with the National Navyin accordance with the permits provided by the Parliament of Uruguay,” added Symon.
According to the website of the US embassy in Uruguay, the “Stone is the ninth Legend-class homeland security cutter in the Coast Guard fleet and is currently based in Charleston (South Carolina)”.
In addition, “national security cutters can execute the most demanding national security missionsincluding support for US combat commanders.”
