US agents arrive at Subic for Fusion-Piston

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Three agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently visited the 3rd Regional Maritime Office (RMO) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here as part of preparations for the two-week tactical exercise dubbed "Fusion-Piston 04-02" on July 11-24.

Superintendent Narco Abian, RMO regional officer, said the US DEA team, led by Lt. David Scoufler and Chief Mate Jody Mandeville, surveyed the training area and checked the operational readiness of the Marine Patrol Boat 22, one of the vessels to be used during the tactical exercise.

"The project is a joint endeavor of the US DEA, Philippine Navy, Special Action Force, Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Command and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which is the lead agency in ‘drug sea interdiction’ operations," Abian said.

The exercise will involve drug enforcement and sea interdiction training in Subic Bay, Zambales and at the Zamboanga naval station.

During the first quarter, American experts conducted a seminar on drug enforcement in Ternate, Cavite.