Charley L. Diaz

Captain Charley L. Diaz (born in 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is a 30-year United States Coast Guard veteran who served on Active Duty from 1982 to 2012. Diaz is best known for leading the crew of the USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720) in the seizure of the Panamanian freighter GATUN off the coast of Panama in March 2007, which netted nearly 20 tons of cocaine worth an estimated $600 million.[1] It was the largest maritime drug bust in US history.

On July 21, 2005, Diaz became the first American of Hispanic descent to command a High endurance cutter (the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest cutter class).[2] In 2008, Diaz was named one of the "Top Hispanics in the U.S. Military" by Hispanic Engineer & IT magazine.[3] He officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard on June 30, 2012. Diaz is an independent Homeland Security consultant in the greater Washington, D.C. area and President of Diaz and Associates, Maritime Consultants (a Maryland company).

Background and education

Diaz was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is a 1978 graduate of Mary Carroll High School.In 1982, Diaz graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where he was captain of the cadet drill team. He holds a master's degree in Public Administration (with honors) from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a diploma (with distinction) from the U.S. Naval War College. He also completed the Department of Homeland Security “Executive Leaders Program” in 2012 at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.[4] Diaz was a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2005. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City [5] and also a life member of the Association of Naval Services Officers, a national Hispanic affinity group.[6]

Largest maritime drug bust in U.S. history
The M/V Gatun seizure

On March 18, 2007, Diaz led the crew of the USCGC Sherman in the seizure of the motor vessel GATUN with 765 bales of cocaine (nearly 20 tons) worth an estimated $600 million; it remains the largest maritime drug bust in U.S. history.[7][8] USCGC Sherman was working for the Joint Interagency Task Force South at the time. Operating on a tip from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the working closely with Panamanian officials, the takedown occurred just west of the Panama Canal entrance.[9] The cocaine was hidden in two shipping containers. The drugs were later offloaded in Alameda, California where they were transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration and transported via two Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft to Florida for destruction.[10][11] This celebrated drug seizure made headlines around the world.[12]

Operational assignments

Diaz is a career cutterman, having served 12 years of sea duty on six Coast Guard cutters, commanding four of them. His afloat assignments include:

  • Deck Watch Officer on the 210-foot USCGC Active (WMEC-618) in New Castle, New Hampshire, 1982–1984;
  • Commanding Officer of the 82-foot Patrol Boat USCGC Point Monroe (WPB-82353) in Freeport, Texas, 1984–1986;
  • Commanding Officer of the Surface Effect Ship USCGC Petrel (WSES-4) in Key West, Florida, 1990–1992;
  • Executive Officer of the 270-foot USCGC Spencer (WMEC-905) in Boston, Massachusetts, 1997–1999;
  • Commanding Officer of the 270-foot USCGC Bear (WMEC-901) in Portsmouth, Virginia, 2002–2004;[13] and
  • Commanding Officer of the 378-foot USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720) in Alameda, California, 2005–2007.[Mass 1][Mass 2]

Senior staff assignments

Diaz was the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Chief of Staff in Alameda, California from 2009 to 2012 where he served three Area Commanders: Vice Admiral David Pekoske, Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge, and Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown. From March 2008 - May 2009, he also served as the first ever Chief of Staff (aka Executive Director) of the new U. S. Coast Guard Force Readiness Command for Rear Admiral Timothy S. Sullivan. Prior to reporting to Pacific Area, Diaz headed the Coast Guard’s International Affairs Directorate in Washington, D.C. reporting to the Deputy Commandant for Operations, and often working directly for the Commandant, Admiral Thad W. Allen. He also served as Aide de Camp for the 20th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Robert E. Kramek.

Capitol Hill and 9/11

Diaz spent three years working on Capitol Hill from 1999 to 2002. Diaz was the first Coast Guard Officer to serve in a Congressional leadership office when he served as the Drug Policy Advisor to the U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois).[Mass 3] In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Diaz helped identify the critical link between illegal heroin profits in Afghanistan and the al Qaeda terrorist network.[14] Diaz was also instrumental in pushing legislation to create the new Department of Homeland Security and establish the U.S. Coast Guard as an official member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Under Chairman John Mica (R-Florida), Diaz helped orchestrate Congressional hearings that led to the passage of Plan Colombia (i.e., the $1B U.S. aid package that helped reverse coca production trends in Colombia).

Retirement

On June 30, 2012, Captain Diaz officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time of his retirement, he was a senior Captain in the United States Coast Guard[Mass 4] and serving as the Pacific Area Chief of Staff responsible for overseeing the execution of one half of all Coast Guard operations.[Mass 5] He is President and CEO of Diaz LLC, Diaz & Associates Consulting.

Awards and recognition

Command at Sea insignia
Cutterman Insignia
Commandant Staff Badge

Diaz’s civilian awards and recognition include:

Notes
  1. "Cutters on Patrol - Cutter Sherman c2007". Tam Communications. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  2. "The Unique Role of the U.S. Coast Guard - Cutter Sherman to Return Home After Deployment to Southeast Asia". Military.com. September 20, 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  3. Copp, Tara. "Carroll grad hears call of Capitol Hill". Scripps Howard News Service for the Corpus Christi Caller Times. Archived from the original on 18 October 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  4. May, RADM Daniel. "U.S. Coast Guard Register of Officers dated March 2, 2012 (p. 2)" (PDF). Commander, USCG Personnel Service Center. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  5. Vasquez, Tina (April 7, 2012). "Coastal Bend Military Notes (Diaz Retirement)". Corpus Christi Caller Times. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. Pickavance, Rear Admiral William "Bear". "Texas Navy Association Newsletter". Texas Navy Association. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Coast Guard document: "Captain Charley L. Diaz" (PDF). Retrieved 26 January 2012.

  1. Orr, Bob (September 19, 2007). "Coast Guard Bust Nets 21 Tons of Cocaine". CBS Evening News/AP. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  2. Thiesen, Dr. William H. "Hispanic-Americans & The U.S. Coast Guard". Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  3. Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology Editorial Department (2008). Top Hispanics in the U.S. military (p. 62). Career Communications Group. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  4. Issvoran, Heather. "Department of Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program video announcing the graduates)". CHDS, Naval Postgraduate School. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  5. "CFR Membership Roster as of 02 Nov 2012". Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. Rodriguez, Rear Admiral Will. "Association of Naval Services Officers home page". Association of Naval Service Officers. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  7. Cook, Theresa (March 21, 2007). "U.S. Coast Guard Makes Biggest Cocaine Bust in U.S. History". ABCNews. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  8. "YouTube: Largest Maritime Drug Seizure in World History - posted Mar 21, 2007". USCGImagery. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  9. "Coast Guard Makes Record Maritime Cocaine Seizure - Press Briefing with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Admiral Thad Allen". Official USCG website. March 21, 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  10. "YouTube: What does 40,000 pounds of cocaine look like?". CGImagery uploaded April 27, 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  11. "20-ton cocaine bust biggest in Coast Guard's history". San Francisco Chronicle. April 23, 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  12. Tanner, Adam (Apr 23, 2007). "U.S. unloads record bust of 20 tons of cocaine". Reuters. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  13. Harris, Shane (May 1, 2003). "The Forgotten War". Government Executive Magazine. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  14. "Task Force to look at link between Terrorists, Drugs - dated Saturday September 22, 2001". Houston Chronicle Section A, p. 13, 2 STAR edition. Associated Press. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  15. "M/V GATUN Cocaine Seizure Team (2007)" (PDF). Department of Homeland Secretary. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  16. DHS/USCG Innovation Award. "2010 Captain Niels P. Thomsen Innovation Award - Force Readiness Command for Administration, Training and Support" (PDF). Coast Guard Innovation Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
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