London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Wade Smith Defends Use Of Barges For Border Security

Wade Smith Defends Use Of Barges For Border Security

Commissioner of Customs, Mr. Wade Smith defended the Government's decision to pay $360,000 for radar platform services between December and January, stating that the barges provided 24-hour security and were equipped with washroom facilities, among other reasons.
Smith was at the time responding to questions on May 11 from Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

"Commissioner, that's why I invited you to see what it's like out there. I have been there. I have been there. I have been in operations where I've seen--where people have been killed by law enforcement, and law enforcement boats have been struck, and bullets penetrate those hulls. In terms of safety and in terms of what is offered by the smaller charter boats, which is somewhere in the same range of price, they did not give the 24-hour range, the 24-hour coverage," Smith remarked.

He also pointed out to the 'high traffic' between the US and the British Virgin Islands.

"The Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands is probably the closest to the United States of any other country. We are only separated by less than three-quarters of a mile at the western end of Tortola and the eastern end of St. John. There is a lot of high traffic of people moving between the territories all day, all night, and the barges give you that coverage, give you that 24-hour security," Smith noted.

He added, "Again, right now, we're pretty comfortable, we're pretty relaxed, and we've forgotten what it was like a year ago today. A year ago today, no one wanted to leave their home, people were scared, they were terrified, and these barges became a household name, Commissioner, where everyone was communicating, WhatsApp'ing pictures, sending pictures around once they saw those barges in position."

Smith pointed out that the smaller boats do not have bathroom facilities and that the Joint Task Force comprises men and women.

Commissioner Smith also informed that another company with similar equipment wanted to be paid $15,000 a day for one vessel, as opposed to $14,000 a day for three vessels that the winning proposal from EZ Shipping Ltd provided.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×