In 2010, illegal drugs were being flown into the Dominican Republic at an alarming rate. The continual issue of drug trafficking led the Dominican government to seek new aircraft and tactics to deal with the problem. They turned to the U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for U.S. military involvement in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command turned to its air component, Air Forces Southern at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for expertise in interdicting illicit air traffic and regaining air sovereignty and the Sovereign Skies program was born.