DAKAR, Senegal - Maritime security operations were conducted April 8-15 in Senegal’s territorial waters and economic exclusion zone within the framework of Senegalese maritime law.

A total of 46 maritime violations were issued based on the type of illegal activity taking place, to include fisheries, customs, and infractions of maritime law.

Representatives from agencies customs, fisheries, immigration, port authority, High Authority on Maritime Safety and Security (HASSMAR), and police participated alongside the combined boarding team.

U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement officers were embedded in Senegal’s combined operations center to assist in maritime domain awareness processes and interface with the Coast Guard crew

The combined U.S.- Senegal operation was conducted from the Senegalese navy ship Kedougou (OPV 45), and what made this particular operation unique was that it is the first time ever AMLEP has been executed without a U.S. vessel.

AMLEP is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored theater security cooperation initiative facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet which seeks to build capability and capacity to increase maritime safety and security, while enabling African maritime forces to effectively patrol their waters and combat illicit maritime activity.

AMLEP is companion to and nested within the international collaborative capacity-building initiative Africa Partnership Station (APS), also sponsored by AFRICOM and facilitated by CNE-CNA/C6F. APS, like AMLEP, seeks to build maritime security capacity in order to increase maritime safety and security.

Other AMLEP iterations in 2016 with Ghana and Cameroon respectively were held aboard the USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1). The operation in Senegal marks the first time combined operations have been conducted from an African partner naval vessel.