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From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) — A combined Ghanaian boarding team completed a second boarding with support from the United States Coast Guard aboard USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1), Feb. 6, as part of Africa Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP).

The joint Ghanaian boarding team issued the commercial fishing vessel Zhong Lu Yu 1003 a citation and return to port order for a restricted area violation.

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USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) escorted the vessel toward the port of Tema where it was handed off to the Ghanaian Navy for escort into the harbor, where Ghanaian Fisheries authorities will investigate the boat for further violations.

Operations are being conducted from the Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1), in coordination with the Ghanaian maritime operations center. Vessel queries and boardings have commenced and the operation's objectives are to detect and enforce maritime law against illegal activity while also increasing proficiencies of the forces that are participating in the operation.

AMLEP is companion to and nested within the international collaborative capacity-building initiative Africa Partnership Station (APS). APS, like AMLEP, seeks to build maritime security capacity in order to increase maritime safety and security.

USNS Spearhead deployed from Norfolk, Dec. 30, and is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support APS and conduct AMLEP operations.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.