JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO), facilitated the transport of the 14th Surgeon General of the United States, to Puerto Rico.
Antonia C. Novello, a Puerto Rico native, will provide medical assistance while in Puerto Rico. She was the U.S. Surgeon General from 1990-1993.
“I have to thank everyone that is trying to get all of us down to Puerto Rico to help in this time of need,” Novello said.
Novello boarded an AMO P-3 Long Range Tracker aircraft that transported supplies to Puerto Rico. The P-3 is a high endurance, all-weather, tactical turbo-prop aircraft which is primarily used to conduct long-range aerial patrols and surveillance missions.
In addition to transporting cargo and supplies to affected areas in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO P-3 crews are providing air traffic coordination for airborne relief missions and communications relay for ground crews. This unique capability provides critical communications to emergency responders in the area.
AMO will transport a second shipment of medical supplies later this week, and has averaged five flights daily to Puerto Rico.
AMO performs a wide range of aviation and maritime contingency operations and national tasking missions, including disaster relief, continuity of operations, humanitarian operations and search and rescue.
With approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO serves as the nation’s experts in airborne and maritime law enforcement.
For more information about CBP efforts in Puerto Rico, visit U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Flickr (CBP Efforts) and DVIDS (cbpmaria).