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Welcome back.
We continue our conversation
with Admiral Craig Faller,
commander of U.S. SouthCom.
Let's talk about
drug interdiction.
I'm hoping at some point to be
able to go down and visit your
facility in Key West.
Talk to me about the role that
that plays and the importance of
drug interdiction in what U.S.
Southern Command does.
Well, I'd love to have you down
to Key West to join interagency
task force south,
it's a team of teams,
22 nations, every
interagency under one roof,
fusing the picture together of
the narcotics flow of --
to the United States of America.
It helps our partners because
we detect things that are headed
into their nations as well.
The -- with the assets,
the intelligence sharing,
the fusion of
information that we had,
we had a very successful year
last year in interdicting the
cocaine, principally.
How do you define success?
It was 280 plus metric tons,
which is roughly ten lives per
metric ton saved in the
United States of America.
Unfortunately we have too much
data on this over so many years.
But you know, one death in
the United States is too many.
We had one solid
year of statistics,
over 70,000 deaths.
And that's just too many.
You've said, and I think I read
somewhere that you have said
that as far as the drug
interdiction for the United
States, I think it's
the United States,
or the military, 1.5% is --
1.5% is spent through the joint
agency task force in Key West.
Am I getting that number wrong?
We have a very small percentage.
We'll get you the exact figures.
It is small.
You're not far off.
And that small percentage
goes to this team
that's monitoring 24/7.
Coast Guard -- U.S.
Coast Guard ships,
customs and border
protection assets.
P3's, U.S. Navy, P8's, some
small number U.S. Navy ships.
And we work with our partners.
And last year about 50% of
all interdictions were partner
assisted, which is a
significant improvement.
Partners like El Salvador
that are really stepping up and
interdicting as many
miles as two or three miles
off their coast.
Do you have a sense for --
based on what you interdict,
how much is getting through?
So, any amount that
gets through is too much.
But we're probably only getting
about 10% of what actually comes
through, 9 to 10% is
what we're estimating.
So, you think you're
catching 90% of it?
No, 90% is getting through.
90% is getting through.
90% is getting through, okay.
While we had a solid year, and
our interdiction numbers were --
were close to a
record, it's not a enough.
That's a -- I mean,
that's a shocking number,
10% being apprehended.
It is, it starts at the source.
So, it starts in Colombia,
and the current administration,
the current team in Colombia.
We spent the week
there last week,
spent the week in Colombia.
We went out, saw some
of their efforts there.
They're getting after it,
their eradication is up.
But people have to have jobs.
And it also goes all the way to
the street in the United States.
So, getting that
whole picture together,
and then you're adding in some
of these chemical based drugs
like fentanyl that you can
manufacture in the mail and mix
and make even more
lethal concoctions.
It, again, points to the global
nature of this problem that
we're fighting.
Where do you -- is the -- is
the transactional nature or the
trans shipment mostly over
last, are we seeing it
through the Caribbean?
I know it shifts.
Like when there's a major effort
in trying to catch it coming
through the Caribbean,
then it starts coming
in up through Mexico.
When we crack down on
Mexico, it starts coming
in through the Caribbean.
Where is your assessment now
of where it's coming through?
Cocaine, which is the principal
commodity that we track and
detect, monitor, and participate
in the interdictions through
joint inter agency task force,
U.S. South, JIA South.
It's more effective economically
for the terror -- for the
criminal organizations.
But it also goes
by land and by air.
We've seen an increase in
the non-commercial air flow,
particularly out of Venezuela.
Is Haiti still a major
trans shipment point?
I'd say there some
trans shipment through
the island countries.
I wouldn't just
point to Haiti though.
I want to go back
for a second to China,
the discussion there.
Because I found some of
this to be truly fascinating.
You told a story about how
you were meeting with --
with a counterpart in
another country.
And they were talking about the
aid they were getting from --
or the assistance
they were getting,
or the blank check they were
almost getting from China.
I think it was like $23 million.
Do you know the
story I'm referring to?
Tell me about that.
Well, I mentioned at the outset
that China has principal and
legitimate economic interest,
they'll go to whatever lengths
is necessary to
increase those interests.
And what we're seeing are
military assistance, gifts,
for one, because they know that
many nations in this region are
cash strapped.
So, we see an increase in gifts,
we see an increase in education
offers, free scholarships.
They've taken some
of our curriculum,
converted it into
their Chinese and Spanish,
and just introduce enough
Chinese doctrine into it to make
it pliable to
their own leadership.
A couple times sitting
down with counterparts,
after we get to know each other,
when they're open and honest
with me, they'll admit that
they received a 20 million,
23 million, 14
million, 17 million.
I press, I say, what are
we talking about here?
They'll say,
don't worry, admiral,
it's not IT equipment.
Well, you can buy a lot of
uniforms for 23, $20 million.
So, I know they're --
they're getting assistance.
And that's
compared to what the U.S. --
and what's the U.S, giving
-- that country that you were
citing before, you
said 23 million,
blank check from China.
What was the U.S.
payment to them?
Our security assistance
is significantly smaller.
I think you said about
one and a half million.
It's about that, but I would
offer a dollar of U.S. money
and a year at one
of our war colleges is --
this is the gold standard.
That's again -- it goes
back to why our partners
want to partner with us.
Would it be --
have you felt that,
you know, I know there has been
an effort to take money from
military spending to build the
wall on the southern border.
I realize you don't have
anything to do with Mexico.
You're -- you are Mexico
South, not Mexico itself.
Are there resources that
if we had more finances,
to be able -- for beefing
up what's done in Key West,
the military aid to be given to
some of those other countries?
That those dollars might be
better spent in that way
than on the border?
I think to effectively combat
the scourge of transnational
criminal organizations and
all the things they traffic,
narcotics, humans, guns.
You need a
complete zone defense.
So, I look at what we're doing
along the border as a gold line
stand, and I look at our
effort as linebackers
and defensive backs.
We need to have this
system of systems together.
And so, I think it
all plays a role,
including economic efforts.
And I go back to the need
for intelligence support,
that includes
surveillance from air craft.
I just want to get your response
on the base in Argentina that
China has built for deep space.
Who poses a greater threat
to the United States in Latin
America, Russia or China?
China's looking to have access
and influence where they can,
and that includes in space.
We look at the competition
between Russia and China and
given the strength of the
Chinese economy and where we see
them making inroads
around the world,
I'd focus more in on China in
our future defense efforts than
I do on Russia.
Before coming to SouthCom you
were the senior military advisor
to then Defense
Secretary Jim Mattis, correct?
Senior military assistant.
Senior military
assistant, I apologize.
Jim Mattis a good man?
Secretary Mattis, Jim
Mattis is a fine leader,
outstanding leader, mentor.
And I have the
utmost respect for him.
I gotta ask you a couple of
questions about what's been in
the news recently.
The Washington Post book,
"A Very Stable Genius",
describes a scene that took
place in July 2017 in the tank
in which the
president, during a briefing,
dressed down Jim Mattis, a
number of other generals that
were -- and admirals
that were in the room,
military staff that
was in that room.
Were you in that meeting?
I won't comment on proceedings
of the tank and any private
proceedings I was a part of.
And I think it's unprofessional
from a military personnel that
have commented on that.
I just want to
get your reaction.
According to the book, "the
president berated
Secretary Mattis and the leaders
there as a bunch of losers,
a bunch of dopes and babies."
I won't comment on
any proceedings,
all my dealings
with the president,
he's very affable and very
positive and very supportive of
the military and I have the
utmost respect for
Secretary Mattis and his
outstanding leadership and
service to our nation.
Are you enjoying the job?
I love the job.
What do you love most about it?
The people.
You come to work here in Doral,
the people are so passionate and
knowledgeable about
what they're doing,
they're committed.
There's a lot of longevity here,
brings a depth of experience and
understanding the
cultural nuances of the region.
It's just an honor to be here
and I'm just humbled to be able
to -- and grateful to lead
such an outstanding team in a
wonderful, vibrant
community like this.
Admiral, thank you
very much for your time.
Thank you.
Now, as SouthCom commander,
Admiral Faller also oversees the
Guantanamo Bay
Military Base in Cuba.
We discussed the ongoing
tensions of accused terrorists
and how long that
base will remain open.
You can find that portion
of our interview online at
CBSMiami.com, as
well as a discussion
about the future of Haiti.