WASHINGTON —Air and Marine Operations (AMO) worked with their federal and international partners to seize 121,667 pounds of cocaine and 33,226 pounds of marijuana in international waters through the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2022, denying transnational criminal organizations an estimated $2.4 billion.
Overall, narcotic seizures involving AMO’s P-3 crew operations have increased through the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2022 when compared to the previous fiscal year. To date, cocaine seizures comprise 86 percent of cocaine seizures throughout Fiscal Year 2021, and marijuana seizures through the end of June totaled 81 percent of the previous fiscal years’ seizures.
AMO has two P-3 National Air Security Operations Centers located in Jacksonville, FL and Corpus Christi, TX. These P-3 aircraft operate throughout North, Central and South America in defense of the borders of the United States to prevent attempts to smuggle persons or contraband.
National Air Security Operations Center P-3 capabilities are vital in partnership with U.S. Command operations. This partnership bolsters support to U.S. and international law enforcement by sharing information and intelligence to help detect and disrupt targets.
AMO crews detect smuggling activity through long-range radar capabilities in maritime smuggling source and transit zones and have the ability to coordinate with a vast multi-agency network of federal and international partners to stop illicit trafficking attempts. International partnerships are crucial to counternarcotics operational success.
On March 31, for example, a Corpus Christi-based National Air Security Operations Center (NASOC) P-3 Long Range Tracker crew detected a suspect vessel near Panama City. The aircrew notified and guided partner nation teams to interdict. The international team then seized 4,998 pounds of cocaine.
AMO 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 2021, AMO enforcement actions resulted in 1,119 arrests and 122,035 apprehensions of undocumented individuals as well as the seizure or disruption of 324,772 pounds of cocaine, 779,725 pounds of marijuana, 18,548 pounds of methamphetamine, 900 weapons and $73.3 million.
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