Taking a break from their mission this weekend, crew members of the French Navy ship La Gracieuse docked at Crown Bay and scrimmaged with a local soccer team at the University of the Virgin Islands.
While he did not participate in “le foot,” the ship’s 32-year-old captain talked about the French ship’s mission in the Caribbean.
Based in Martinique, the 54-meter, 373-ton La Gracieuse’ mission is 90 percent counter-drug operations, Lt. Cmdr. Julien de Saint-Quentin said. The other ten percent involves monitoring human smuggling and minimizing illegal immigration into the French possessions of Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barts, and St. Martin, as well as safety at sea and diplomatic duties.
There are three parts to La Gracieuse’ drug interdiction operation: monitoring and intelligence and checking vessels, interception and apprehension, and deterrence, which, the captain said is made easier by the first two.
“When we are at sea the criminals have to change their scheme of operation,” Saint-Quentin said. “We know the traffic has shifted.”
Drug runners use containers, aircraft and mail to get their goods across borders, thanks largely to the U.S., U.K., Dutch and French navies’ efforts along with all the coast guards of the Caribbean nations’. The French navy is one of a few, including the U.S. and the U.K. that have permanently deployed forces worldwide.
La Gracieuse has authority to stop vessels within French waters, provided there is suspicion of illegal activity, Saint-Quentin said. But that is not the primary mission of the vessel. That job normally belongs to Customs.
“What we offer more than Customs is endurance and high seas capability,” Saint-Quentin said, noting that his ship can cross the Atlantic.
In international waters, La Gracieuse can challenge vessels and check details. If there is no flag, La Gracieuse can conduct what is called a flag inquiry, which entails sending navy personnel aboard to check the vessel’s papers.
If the vessel is flying the French flag, Saint-Quentin said the regulations are the same as in French waters.
For foreign-flagged vessels, Saint-Quentin said that he needs to get the flag nations’ permission to board. Authorization can be granted either permanently, through an agreement with the nation, or by requesting the flag nation to abandon jurisdiction to La Gracieuse.
In the case of U.S. flagged boats, Saint-Quentin said that a permanent agreement exists, but still requires a call to the authorities.
“This goes very quickly because we have standard operating procedures and a permanent liaison officer,” Saint-Quentin said. “It is a matter of minutes.”
La Gracieuse has to suspect illegal activity aboard the other vessel and suspicion can arise from course – northbound vessels are more interesting than southbound, Saint-Quentin said – or from certain nations’ flagged vessels. The captain declined to identify those nations.
In addition, navies share intelligence and track vessels of interest as they traverse the Caribbean.
Saint-Quentin acknowledges that the criminals are getting more sophisticated in tracking naval vessels as well.
“We try to be as stealthy as possible,” Saint-Quentin said, stressing that La Gracieuse’s mission is not a military one. “It is a police mission conducted with military means to cope with the criminal’s high level of sophistication. We need the military means.”
In addition to her counter- drug and illegal immigration missions, La Gracieuse also monitors safety of life at sea.
If a vessel is in trouble, La Gracieuse will come to her aid and provide water, food and fuel if necessary.
“That is the duty of every sailor at sea,” Saint-Quentin said.
At every port visit, La Gracieuse also plays her part as a French embassy, spreading French goodwill by hosting parties and official luncheons.
“We are a permanent base for all of our [French] diplomats in the area.” Saint-Quentin said. “It’s secure, it’s French, it’s a symbol as well. We are a floating French embassy.”
La Gracieuse will extending French hospitality Monday, providing tours of the ship to the public from 9 a.m. to noon and between 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tours last about 30 – 45 minutes.
