WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO) crews conducted air and maritime enforcement operations with agency partners resulting in seizure of a total of 51,619 pounds of cocaine since the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2021. Cocaine seizures since October occurred across AMO regions and spanned multiple interagency operations, denying transnational criminal organization proceeds from illicit narcotics valued at an estimated $695 million dollars.
On October 14, a Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft crew, on temporary duty to the Caribbean, patrolled the area and located a suspect vessel. The aircrew coordinated with agency partners who interdicted the vessel and seized half a ton of cocaine
On November 8, AMO personnel conducted a multi-national, interagency operation to locate a suspicious aircraft in Guatemala. When host Nation authorities arrived, they found a crashed aircraft, arrested two individuals, and seized more than a ton of cocaine. On the same day, a National Air Security Operations Center P-3 Orion Airborne Early Warning (AEW) crew located a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean. The crew vectored a helicopter from a partner nation to the vessel. Agency partners seized nearly 800 pounds of cocaine.
Two days later, AMO personnel partnered in a multi-national operation to locate a suspicious aircraft in Guatemala. Host nation authorities discovered a burning aircraft and seized nearly 2 tons of cocaine. In another cocaine seizure event on November 11, a Caribbean Air and Marine Branch DHC-8 crew detected a suspect vessel near Puerto Rico. The marine crew partnered with federal and local law enforcement teams who interdicted the vessel, arrested five men who had jettisoned bales overboard and attempted to flee, and seized 921 pounds of cocaine.
More information about other notable cocaine seizures since the beginning of FY21 can also be found on the official CBP website:
- AMO Seized 489 Pounds Of Cocaine Near Vieques, Puerto Rico
- CBP Air and Marine Operations Crew And Partners Seize Nearly a Ton Of Cocaine
- CBP Air and Marine Operations Crew and Partners Thwart Smugglers, Disrupt More Than A Ton Of Cocaine
Air and Marine Operations safeguards our Nation by anticipating and confronting security threats through our aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise, innovative capabilities, and partnerships at the border and beyond. 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.
In Fiscal Year 2020, AMO enforcement actions resulted in the seizure or disruption of 194,220 pounds of cocaine, 278,492 pounds of marijuana, 15,985 pounds of methamphetamine, 952 weapons and $51.5 million, 1,066 arrests, 47,872 apprehensions of illegal aliens.