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CBP Air and Marine Operations in San Diego Announces Upgraded Vessel

Release Date
Tue, 07/31/2018

AMO received enhanced maritime asset

SAN DIEGO— U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) in San Diego announces its latest addition to its Coastal Interceptor Vessel (CIV) class: the All-Weather 41-Foot SAFE Boat. This will provide unmatched capabilities to patrol the local waterway along southern California maritime borders. SAFE is an acronym for Secure Around Flotation Equipped.

Air and Marine Vessel, the Coastal Interceptor vessel.
Air and Marine's latest maritime
asset, the CIV class All-Weather
41-Foot SAFE Boat.

Designed to combat maritime smuggling, which is common in the San Diego area, and to defend the waterways along our nation’s borders, the vessel provides agents with additional speed and maneuver-ability.  Its radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors (day/night camera) and can work with other AMO aviation assets and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to accomplish the homeland security mission.

Operated by a crew of three, the 41-foot, 10-ton vessel, has a range of approximately 350 nautical miles (402 miles).  It will be outfitted with four 350 horse power Mercury outboard engines that will provide a cruising speed of 58 knots (66 mph).  There are presently three CIV SAFE Boats supplementing the existing San Diego based maritime assets. AMO San Diego expects to receive a total of four CIV SAFE Boats.

Director of Marine Operations in San Diego Jeremy Thompson said, “The Coastal Interceptor Vessel SAFE Boat is a very capable vessel which will assist air, ground and maritime agents in apprehending smugglers and potential terrorists and is a welcomed addition to our fleet.”

CBP holds a contract for 52 CIV SAFE Boats with SAFE BOAT Corp.  Presently, there are 12 CIV SAFE boats in AMO’s fleet nationwide.  The first was delivered to the Marine Training Center in St. Augustine FL, in 2016.

To learn more about how AMO secures the maritime border, please check out video.

For photos of the CIV SAFE Boat, check out our CBP Flickr page, and for video.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Mar 04, 2024