Colombia, U.S., Honduras begin anti-drug naval drills

Colombian, U.S. and Honduran naval forces started joint anti-drug trafficking military exercises Tuesday.

The three-day drills are being carried out by the Colombian National Army, the Honduran patrol ship "Tegucigalpa" and the U.S. Coast Guard vessel "Escanaba" on the Colombian island of San Andres.

The exercises include training Colombian navy coastguards and comparing notes on the fight against drug trafficking.

Twenty-six Honduran navy members and a vessel with radars, GPS and echo-sound devices are participating in the drills.

The U.S. vessel is equipped with a helicopter and high-technology tools, with 100 crew members aboard.

It is a valuable opportunity to promote the fight against drug trafficking, a task which needs the support of many countries, said Jesus Benitez, a commander from Honduras.

"This is an opportunity for the strategy against drug trafficking to stay valid among different countries affected by drug trafficking in our waters," he said.

"The Colombian Army has always been ready to give the biggest support to the Honduran Army in this fight," Benitez said.

Source: Xinhua