LAREDO, Texas– U.S. Border Patrol, with the assistance of local law enforcement, thwarts a narcotics smuggling attempt in Laredo.
The incident occurred during the evening of June 17, when agents received a report of a possible narcotic smuggling attempt inside a business northwest of Laredo. Agents responded and observed a black pickup truck leave the business and head south on Mines Road. Agents attempted a roving patrol stop of the vehicle. The driver failed to yield and headed south to eventually merge onto Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) southbound.
Bundles containing 294 pounds of marijuana seized in Laredo in a joint enforcement effort involving U.S. Border Patrol, Laredo Sector, Air and Marine Operations, Laredo Air Branch, Webb County Sheriff's Office and Laredo Police Department.
CBP Air and Marine Operations maintained aerial pursuit as the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and Laredo Police Department (LPD) assisted. The vehicle exited I-35 into a nearby restaurant parking lot on San Dario Avenue. The driver attempted to abscond from the vehicle, but was quickly apprehended by the LPD.
Agents arrived and took custody of the individual, who was from Mexico and in the country illegally. Also seized were four bundles of marijuana that weighed approximately 294.54 pounds with an estimated street value of $235,632. The individual, the narcotics, and the pickup truck were subsequently turned over to special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Even with the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Laredo Sector continue to secure the nation’s borders and prevent the smuggling of drugs and individuals.
To report suspicious activity such as alien and/or drug smuggling, download the “USBP Laredo Sector” App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994.
FAJARDO, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Marine Interdiction Agents, seized Wednesday more than $2 million in undeclared currency found in bags believed to be dumped from a vessel traveling near Vieques, Puerto Rico.
While on patrol, AMO Marine Interdiction agents (MIAs) detected a vessel, which began to maneuver to elude them.
The MIA’s, operating a Coastal Interceptor Vessel, observed objects floating in the water that appeared to be duffel bags and retrieved them before sinking. Inside agents found US currency estimated at over $1 million.
“Transnational criminal organizations seek to conceal and move currency from their activities,” stated Johnny Morales, Director, Air and Marine Operations for the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. “Our agents continue to use advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities to detect and interdict them throughout our coastal borders.”
Special Agents with US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will take over the investigation.
AMO is a federal law enforcement organization dedicated to serving and protecting the American people through advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities. 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 conducts its mission in the air and maritime environments at and beyond the border, and within the nation's interior.
CBP marine interdiction agents patrol the waters off of the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
Out on the horizon, the tiny speck of what could be either a legal fishing boat or one carrying narcotics or illegal aliens appears off the coast of Puerto Rico. Moments later, a voice from a law enforcement partner in the air crackles over the radio on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Coastal Interceptor Vessel telling the interceptor’s crew members something’s not quite right about that boat. The vessel commander pushes his boat to full throttle, and the excitement builds as those on the interceptor don’t know what they will encounter. But they race across the waters, ready for whatever might await them on the other end.
“In the heat of the moment, you don’t think about it,” said Marine Interdiction Agent Osvaldo Crespo, who as a vessel commander, made many similar runs over the five years the 14-year veteran of CBP has been on the job in Puerto Rico. “Afterward, you might think about it, but when things are happening, it’s like coming off the sideline and into a football game,” running on training and muscle memory.
Agents like Crespo get some help from above: air assets in the form of helicopters and airplanes, such as the DHC-8 – more commonly known in Air and Marine Operations circles as the “Dash-8.”
“We’re trying to detect any small vessels coming with narcotics or aliens,” said Aviation Enforcement Agent Jose Hernandez, while patrolling in one of the Dash-8s. He monitors a radar screen and the window at his side to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. When Hernandez is not in the airplane, he works the same position in a Black Hawk helicopter without the aid of a radar screen, keeping his eyes peeled. “It’s challenging. In the middle of the open ocean, it’s kind of like looking at an ink blob. We do what we can.”
An aviation enforcement agent onboard a DHC-8 aircraft alerts marine interdiction agents as he monitors a small boat carrying roughly 10 illegal immigrants between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
Other supporting assets include a Coast Guard cutter, providing firepower and support to Air and Marine Operations boat crews. The Coast Guard’s larger vessels can more easily fight 6- to 8-foot Caribbean Sea swells to intercept suspected drug smugglers, which bring their deadly cargo either directly from South American shores or from a “mother ship” anchored miles away. In addition, the Coast Guard cutters can operate hundreds of miles from Puerto Rico in the rougher open sea, far exceeding the range of Air and Marine Operations’ watercraft, which are intended to operate within a dozen miles or so of land. While the Coast Guard operates further out, Air and Marine Operations vessels can more easily navigate the shallow waters when smugglers and traffickers get too close to shore for the larger cutters to operate. In addition, Air and Marine Operations’ more agile boats are better suited for many of the close quarters boarding operations necessary along Puerto Rico’s coast. Coast Guard Lt. Katherine Ustler, who was the commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley and has since moved on to another assignment, had her crew ready to back up her CBP brethren, as the Air and Marine Operations crews were ready to help their law enforcement partners.
“I love it when the P-3s are flying,” Ustler said, referring to the Air and Marine Operations aircraft that provide long-range radar capabilities to all enforcement assets on the water. “They extend our eyes way farther out than the cutter can see. And when [the P-3s] fly south and find something, we coordinate with them directly or through our command center and start positioning the cutters on an intercept to the targets the aircraft spotted.”
On the sea, in the air, and backed up by law enforcement partners from the federal and local governments, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is one of the first lines of defenses against illegal drugs and immigration trying to make it to America’s shores.
View of the shores of Puerto Rico through the cockpit window of A-Star helicopter based out of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
A Two-Front, Two-Enemy War
Air and Marine Operations in the Caribbean fight two different enemies on two different fronts. On the western side of Puerto Rico, it is intercepting illegal immigration – for the most part, citizens of the Dominican Republic trying to sneak in. While the numbers are not what their CBP brethren along the southern border with Mexico face, they have to remain vigilant. On the south side of Puerto Rico, as well as the east and into the U.S. Virgin Islands, the main concern is illicit drug trafficking and currency seizures, many times from drug lords trying to launder their ill-gotten money through this portal – what is known as source and transit zones in Air and Marine speak – into the continental United States. Being able to protect America’s far southeastern edge in the Western Hemisphere is a daunting task.
“We’re able to extend America’s borders further out into the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean,” said Johnny Morales, the director of Air and Marine Operations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are also the only federal law enforcement entity – along with the Coast Guard – to cover the vast area of water that extends for hundreds of miles all around. “We target all threats, 360 degrees around the island. We have to cover a lot more area [than some of their CBP counterparts, such as those along the border with Mexico], so we have to be able to patrol the vast ocean to detect, monitor and interdict drug and human smugglers. Since it’s a 360 degree threat, it’s a little bit different than flying [over] a border fence.”
More than $10.5 million in currency seizures occur in a typical year, nearly as much as the money intercepted along the border in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona combined. Annually, in the area, the operation intercepts 10,000-14,000 pounds of cocaine, a dramatic spike from just 200-300 kilograms annually less than five years ago. It also makes Air and Marine Operations in Puerto Rico the second biggest interceptor of cocaine in CBP (only behind CBP’s mission in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America). This part of the Caribbean and Atlantic is a target-rich environment.
“You take off out of the airport and make a left turn, and right over the water, you can come up with something,” Morales said.
On the Sea
Surrounded by water, CBP operations around Puerto Rico obviously involve a lot of time on the seas. East of the island territory where the warm waters of the Caribbean mix with the massive Atlantic Ocean, lie the U.S. Virgin Islands. This archipelago provides its own challenges with several large, main islands and smaller islands dotted in between the blue waters of the region, giving drug smugglers nooks and crannies where they try to hide – “try” being the operative word. Patrols constantly on the water, helped by the “eyes in the skies” of CBP aircraft, maintain constant vigilance. Running is another area where CBP has an advantage over some smugglers.
“Our new Coastal Interceptor Vessels are beast masters,” said Supervisory Marine Interdiction Agent Cleon Arrington, who works as a vessel commander out of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Running at speeds of up to 66 miles an hour, he added his boats are better suited to take the pounding of the all-too-common high seas of the area than some of the dilapidated boats the smugglers use.
“We’re in much better shape than those guys; sometimes, I think they’re almost glad we showed up,” he mused.
Planning is a key element for the maritime operators, checking the intelligence before heading out on the water. But Arrington said they have “hot spots” they check regularly.
“You go to where the intel leads you,” but after that, it’s good old-fashioned police work that gets the job of interdicting drug smuggling done. “There’s a lot going on down here in paradise.”
An air interdiction agent flying an A-Star helicopter along the coastline in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
In the Air
Helping cover the thousands of square miles of open ocean are the planes and helicopters in Air and Marine Operations’ inventory in the region. The Dash-8, along with the Black Hawk and A-Star helicopters, make sure no one can hide just beyond the horizon view of the mariners down at sea level.
“We have to be in a defensive mode for 360 degrees,” said Aviation Enforcement Agent Adalberto Mercado, the operations officer for the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. “Because we’re getting human and drug smugglers from the Dominican Republic, narcotics from Venezuela, Colombia, through the Virgin Islands channels sometimes. We get hit from everywhere here.”
Like their counterparts on the water, pilots gather intelligence before they head out but then rely on their own detective work to make sure all bases are covered, ready to shift as the bad guys try to outsmart them.
“Smugglers change tactics, and guess what? We do the same,” Mercado said. “They are creative in the ways they bring in the drugs and the way they smuggle money out. We have to be proactive.”
Once the crew detected a suspicious vessel, they will keep eyes on it until they can vector – in Air and Marine Operations language – the law enforcement assets on the water, as well as documenting the bust with video for future trials. All of this is done with safety in the forefront of everyone’s minds.
“I’m happy if the job gets done safely, because everybody wants to go home,” Mercado said.
An air interdiction agent inspects a DHC-8 aircraft prior to flight operations at the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
In Partnership with Other Law Enforcement Agencies
The Caribbean Air and Marine Operations Center, in Levittown, Puerto Rico, coordinates its massive efforts within CBP. Furthermore, the Caribbean Border Interagency Group brings assets from other law enforcement partners, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Justice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration and the local law enforcement group Puerto Rico United Forces of Rapid Action – better known by its Spanish acronym “FURA.” In addition to its own full complement of boats, planes and helicopters, Air and Marine Operations in the area relies on the assets the other law enforcement partners bring.
Seen from the window of a DHC-8 aircraft, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter arrives to take custody of roughly 10 illegal immigrants apprehended at sea as they attempted to cross the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in a small boat. Photo by Glenn Fawcett
Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Lance Wiser is the officer in charge at Coast Guard Station San Juan, Puerto Rico, and has worked for 18 years on cutters and small boats. He said working with CBP comes naturally for his branch of the service.
“We share a lot of the same goals and missions: counter-drug and illegal [entrant] interdictions,” he said. “We work with [CBP] on a regular basis. Our tactics are very similar in enforcing the laws.”
Wiser said it’s common to see Coast Guard law enforcement teams on Air and Marine Operations boats, and Air and Marine Operations agents on Coast Guard vessels, as well as joint patrols with CBP and Coast Guard vessels, complementing each other to enforce the laws.
“We are utilizing each other’s resources and assets as effective force multipliers, which allows for increased coverage and more effective and efficient operations,” Wiser said.
One example of the great teamwork between the agencies was when a boat from the Coast Guard Station in San Juan was vectored into a target of interest at night by Air and Marine Operations aircraft. The Coast Guard crew did not have a visual of the smugglers until they were within 100 yards. CBP eyes in the sky were able to put them right on target and stopped the shipment of 40 kilograms of cocaine.
“The intelligence is better, and we now try to tackle the intel with all of the resources, not only from Air and Marine Operations, but from Coast Guard and anybody else,” Morales said. “That’s why that coordination effort has been a lot better.”
100% When the Call Comes
Morales said the presence on the seas and in the skies in this part of the Caribbean continues to increase as the drug trade in the region spiked. New facilities, such as the one at the San Juan airport that opened a few years ago, as well more pilots and sensor operators, give his people the tools they need to patrol this important region of the world and keep America safer.
“Our mission, obviously, is to promote the aeronautical and maritime operations further away from the continental United States in support of the CBP mission as a whole,” Morales said.
Back on the Coastal Interceptor Vessel, Crespo said the drone of the powerful idling engines that could lull a person to sleep, roar to life in an instant, pushing the crew to breathtaking speeds above the wavetops and snapping them to attention, the moment that voice comes on the radio, the moment the crew gets the call.
“Everyone goes to 100% in an instant when the call comes,” he said. “That’s what we train for. That’s what we do.”
One if by Air, Two if by Sea
CBP’s Air and Marine Operations in Caribbean is first-line defense against drugs, illegal immigration
With established locations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO employs approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft, and 300 marine vessels. AMO conducts its missions throughout the United States, at its borders, and beyond in the air and maritime environments.
MYTH: CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) is only authorized to operate within 100 miles of the border.
FACT: AMO operates aircraft and vessels under 6 USC § 211(f)(3)(C), which authorizes the agency to conduct aviation and maritime operations in support of federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement agencies without any geographic limitation for such operations. Appropriations for these authorities are also provided pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, P.L. 116-93, Div. D, Title II.
MYTH: Aerial surveillance violates my constitutional rights
FACT: CBP conducted an in-depth privacy impact assessment in 2013 and 2018. CBP’s use of manned and unmanned aircraft to conduct aerial observations is consistent with CBP’s authorities and obligations. To the extent that aircraft flying in support of tactical operations fly over private residences, there is a minimal risk that a person’s privacy might be unintentionally violated. The images captured are not personally identifiable without further investigative information. View the privacy impact assessments.
MYTH: AMO uses facial recognition software through its aircraft cameras to identify individuals.
FACT: AMO does not possess or utilize facial recognition technology on any of its aircraft. AMO does not own or have access to any facial recognition algorithms or software. Additionally, on-board cameras cannot provide enough resolution or detail to identify a person (that is, to discern physical characteristics such as height, weight, eye color, hairstyle, or a facial image), or to discern a vehicle license plate number. These cameras can be used to discern rough details such as clothing color, the presence of an item such as a backpack, or in some cases whether an individual is carrying an unconcealed weapon that may pose a threat.
MYTH: AMO Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) collect and record data on observed individuals.
FACT: AMO manned and unmanned aircraft, when equipped with cameras, radar, or other technologies, have the capability to collect raw data in the form of video, still images, or radar returns. This data cannot discern any personally identifiable information. It can be used to advise law enforcement partner agencies regarding the locations of vessels, conveyances, and number of individuals. This information may ultimately lead to an arrest or seizure and may serve as evidence to prove a violation of law. Video, still images, and radar data collected by UAS remain stored on the recording device with limited storage capacity until overwritten by subsequent mission data, in a period typically no longer than 30 days. This raw mission data is shared with CBP Office of Intelligence (CBP OI) which is responsible for storing and managing the data and is typically used by CBP OI for macro data analysis without association to specific individuals, to determine cross-border or maritime traffic trends. CBP OI may retain the data for a period of 5 years under normal circumstances, or 10 years if the mission data includes information regarding aircraft mishaps, or if the mission data has been identified as evidence in an investigation. Additionally, AMO aircraft can provide real-time, live video feeds to ground-based law enforcement officials, increasing their situational awareness for public safety, and facilitating a rapid response to volatile situations that may quickly become violent, minimizing the overall threat to persons and property. Archived footage from UAS cameras may be shared with other law enforcement agencies when needed for an investigation or in connection with law enforcement activity. Such requests for footage must be reviewed and evaluated before dissemination by the CBP Office of Intelligence.
MYTH: CBP and AMO’s missions are restricted to immigration enforcement.
FACT: CBP and AMO conduct operations, as authorized by 6 USC § 211. Specifically, pursuant to 6 USC 211(f)(3)(C), AMO conducts operations with other federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement entities to assist law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts. AMO carries out its mission nationwide and beyond America’s borders, consistent with federal laws and policies. During humanitarian missions, AMO regularly deploys its aircraft to assist Federal Emergency Management Agency in assessing hurricane affected areas, in coordination with the National Weather Service to capture imagery of storm impacted areas, and with federal, state and local partners to conduct search and rescue missions, in addition to carrying out its law enforcement mission.
MYTH: These aircraft are the same as aircraft used by the military.
FACT: The manufacturer of AMO’s MQ-9 UAS is General Atomics. General Atomics manufactures multiple variations of the MQ-9 and while the basic airframe is standard for both CBP and The Department of Defense, the capabilities included with variations sold to the military are much different than those employed by CBP. For example, CBP AMO MQ-9 UAS are not capable of being armed and are configured to meet AMO’s law enforcement mission requirements.
Each of the nation's border regions provides a nexus point where three transnational threats converge: drug trafficking operations, alien and contraband smugglers and terrorist groups.
The border is not merely a physical frontier. Effectively securing it requires attention to processes that begin outside U.S. borders, occur at the border and continue to all interior regions of the U.S.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) views the border as a continuum of activities where the physical border is the last line of defense, not the first. Consequently, CBP's strategies address the threats and challenges along the continuum.
Headquarters
Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Headquarters is responsible for the management of all resources, policy direction and execution. Headquarters is also responsible for providing support to the field offices in order to fulfill mission requirements.
Air and Marine Operations Center
Richard Booth, Director
The Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) is the nation's only federal law enforcement center tasked to coordinate interdiction operations in the Western Hemisphere. Located at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, the AMOC was established in 1988 as a state-of-the-art law enforcement Domain Awareness center to counter the airborne drug smuggling threat. AMO has expanded the AMOC's role in air and marine interdiction, and today the AMOC provides detection, monitoring, sorting, tracking and coordination of law enforcement response to suspect airborne and maritime activity at, beyond and internal to our nation's borders.
The center has been used to conduct unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and airspace security operations, response to natural disasters, covert and overt electronic target tracking and general aviation aircraft threat determination. The AMOC has acted as the clearinghouse for information and mission tasking during special events, national disasters and crisis situations, such as the Super Bowl, Hurricane Katrina and the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
The AMOC's staff employs sophisticated systems and technology to identify existing and emerging homeland security threats. Staff use live radar presentations overlaid on detailed topographical maps and aviation charts, extensive law enforcement databases and tracking and communications networks to detect, identify, track and coordinate interdiction of suspect targets. The Domain Awareness system combines Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Defense radars, AMO airborne systems and other sensors into a single facility, capable of the real-time tracking of more than 24,000 individual targets.
Currently, AMOC is accessing approximately 50 percent of FAA radars and is awaiting FAA permission and authorization to share data from another recently upgraded FAA radar data distribution network. Out of approximately 10,000 air tracks active at any given moment, AMOC investigates more than 25,000 domestic and foreign flights per month to separate legal air traffic from potential violators and terrorists. Staff is then able to precisely direct law enforcement personnel to suspect targets and support prosecutorial efforts.
National Air Security Operations
John Miller, Director
National Air Security Operations Center-Albuquerque
National Air Security Operations Center - Albuquerque conducts operations throughout the contiguous United States, Puerto Rico and foreign areas. The center utilizes three specially-equipped aircraft and crews to support CBP and other federal agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aircrews gather and disseminate real-time intelligence regarding narcotic smuggling, human smuggling and terrorist threats.
National Air Security Operations Center-Corpus Christi
The National Air Security Operations Center - Corpus Christi forms half of the P-3 operations wing, with its partner center in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they fly P-3 aircraft and conduct UAS operations throughout North and South America in defense of the borders of the United States and in active prosecution of attempts to smuggle persons or contraband. Additionally, the center is an active partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Department of Energy and North America Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in times of national crisis such as Hurricane Katrina or post-9/11.
National Air Security Operations Center-Grand Forks
National Air Security Operations-Grand Forks (NASOC-GF) operates fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from Grand Forks Air Force Base. NASOC-GF conducts initial and recurrent UAS training, and enforcement operations with manned and unmanned aircraft. Additionally, NASOC-GF aids in disaster relief and emergency response efforts of its federal, state, local and tribal partners.
National Air Security Operations Center-Jacksonville
The National Air Security Operations Center - Jacksonville, forms half of the P-3 operations wing. With its partner center in Corpus Christi, Texas, Jacksonville operates P-3 aircraft throughout North and South America in defense of the borders of the United States and in active prosecution of attempts to smuggle persons or contraband. Additionally, the center is an active partner with FEMA, the U.S. Department of Energy and NORAD in times of national crisis such as Hurricane Katrina or post 9/11.
National Air Security Operations Center-Sierra Vista
National Air Security Operations Center –Sierra Vista (NASOC-SV) operates the MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS), a national strategic asset, from Libby Army Airfield at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Established in 2005 as CBP’s first operational UAS site, NASOC-SV conducts UAS operations along the U.S. southern border while working in partnership with Joint Task Force – West, as part of DHS’ Southern Border and Approaches Campaign. Utilizing an onboard electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor and radar system, the UAS streams real-time actionable video and radar data to interdiction assets, providing them with critical situational awareness of ongoing tactical events occurring in both the land and sea domains. NASOC-SV operates the MQ-9 in various equipment configurations, including the Northrup Grumman Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) and the Raytheon SeaVue maritime surveillance radar.
National Air Security Operations Center-San Angelo
National Air Security Operations Center–San Angelo (NASOC–SA) operates unmanned and fixed-wing aircraft from Mathis Airfield in San Angelo, Texas. Established in 2018 as a permanent operational site for the MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system (UAS), NASOC–SA primarily conducts UAS operations along the U.S.–Mexico border in partnership with Joint Task Force–West as a strategic asset to DHS’s Southern Border and Approaches Campaign. Additionally, NASOC-SA operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 medium-range manned aircraft capable of high-altitude detection and surveillance for federal, state, local, and tribal investigative support operations.
Northern Region
Robert Blanchard, Director
AMO's presence on the Northern Regionwas established August 20, 2004. The Northern Region operating environment differs appreciably from other borders and requires a different law enforcement approach. Northern Region locations were chosen with the strategic goal of providing an efficient and appropriate interdiction/law enforcement response to criminal activity.
The Northern Region is defined as the area between the U.S. and Canada, running from Washington State through Maine, including the Great Lakes region. The terrain, which ranges from densely forested lands on the west and east coasts to open plains in the middle of the country, is comprised of sparsely populated federal, state and tribal lands along the immediate border area.
Bellingham Air and Marine Branch
The Bellingham Air and Marine Branch is responsible for more than 90 miles of land border and 164 miles of water border with Canada. One of the unique challenges faced in the Northern Border Region is bi-directional smuggling, with contraband moving in and out of both countries.
Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch
The Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch provides primary aviation and marine response capabilities to the Border Patrol's Detroit Sector, which is responsible for securing more than 860 miles of international border between Canada and the U.S.
Manassas Air Branch
The Manassas Air Branch conducts security missions for events designated as National Special Security Events or given Special Event Assessment Ratings. It is also responsible for conducting airborne surveillance missions for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Southeast Region
John Priddy, Director
With more than 2,000 miles of border, the sheer amount of area covered in theSoutheast Regionmakes aircraft coupled with surface interdiction assets and ground agents a force multiplier to effectively counter all threats. Threats include combined aerial and maritime smuggling effort originating from the Yucatan and the Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica and Hispaniola, proceeding to islands in the southern Bahamas and Florida's western coast that moves the contraband to the United States. The areas of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are at the forefront of the threat consisting primarily of illegal alien and narcotics smuggling via marine vessels.
Caribbean Air and Marine Branch
The Caribbean Air and Marine Branch is the only federal law enforcement organization in the Caribbean Basin with integrated air and marine interdiction capabilities. It is charged with detection and interdiction of airborne and maritime smuggling and uses organic radar facilities to detect and intercept air smuggling attempts, and airborne radar tracking aircraft to detect maritime smugglers.
Jacksonville Air and Marine Branch
The Jacksonville Air and Marine Branch provides support to ensure the security of the nation's southeastern region. The branch accomplishes this mission through the detection, identification and apprehension foreign and domestic terrorist and smuggling threats.
Miami Air and Marine Branch
The Miami Air and Marine Branch provides rapid air and marine response capabilities to address imposing threats to the southeastern United States. This includes detection, disruption and deterrence of illegal immigration, illicit drug trafficking, weapons trade and terrorist activity by utilizing a coordinated effort of air and marine assets, and working with our federal, state, local and tribal partners in south Florida.
New Orleans Air and Marine Branch
The New Orleans Air and Marine Branch has rapid launch capability to the Gulf of Mexico bordering the U.S. The branch's primary enforcement efforts target criminals engaged in illegal immigration, drug trafficking and terrorist-related incidents.
Southwest Region
Keith Jones, Director
Spanning more than 2,000 miles, the Southwest Region with Mexico includes extremely harsh and inhospitable terrain that represents a significant challenge to border security. The border provides a nexus point where three transnational threats converge: drug trafficking, alien smuggling and terrorism. The threat along the Southwest Region can be grouped by mode of transportation and type of suspect activity. While currently limited, aerial smuggling of narcotics and illegal aliens involves suspect aircraft that originate in northern Mexico crossing the Southwest Region with no correlating radar detection or authorization. AMO in the Southwest Region has been a long-standing deterrent to the alien, drug, and terrorist smuggling threat.
El Paso Air Branch
The El Paso Air Branch is a complex, multi-prong anti-terrorism operation with air units located in El Paso and Alpine, Texas and Deming, New Mexico. The branch's area of responsibility corresponds to the boundaries of the U.S. Border Patrol's El Paso Sector beginning at the New Mexico-Arizona border and east to the Sierra Blanca Mountain Range, near Sierra Blanca, Texas.
Laredo Air Branch
The Laredo Air Branch is responsible for more than 170 miles of international border with Mexico. The area of operations extends along the Rio Grande River from the Dimmit County line southward to the Falcon Dam in Zapata, Texas, and reaches as far north as Dallas.
McAllen Air and Marine Branch
The McAllen Air and Marine Branch’s operational area of responsibility covers 315 miles of Texas/Mexico Border, 117 miles of the Gulf of Mexico coastline, and areas from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Falcon Lake west to Corpus Christi, Texas. The branch provides an integrated air and marine response capability in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s anti-terrorism mission. The McAllen Air and Marine Branch also supports the U.S. Border Patrol, ICE, and other federal, state and local enforcement agencies.
San Diego Air and Marine Branch
The San Diego Air and Marine Branch is responsible for defending our international land and sea border from terrorists, illegal alien crossings and the smuggling of contraband. The branch provides air and marine response capabilities to the Border Patrol and Field Operations. In addition, the branch closely supports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices throughout California.
Tucson Air Branch
The Tucson Air Branch is responsible for more than 365 miles of border with Mexico. The area of responsibility extends north to Nevada and Utah using the eastern and western state boundaries of Arizona as lateral limits. The state comprises more than 114,000 square miles of sparsely populated areas in the west desert and border areas where most aviation efforts are concentrated against narcotic and human smuggling.
Uvalde Air Branch
The Uvalde Air Branch's area of responsibility covers more than 200 miles of international border with Mexico. The branch primarily partners with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement agencies throughout the region.
Yuma Air Branch
The Yuma Air Branch is responsible for patrolling more than 125 miles of international border in both California and Arizona.
AMO’s assigned mission areas are established in legislation, departmental and agency strategy and doctrine, and executive orders. AMO has unique and specific authorities within each of these mission areas, and draws on specific functions in carrying them out.
Air, Maritime, and Land Law Enforcement
AMO is one of the lead federal organizations in aviation and maritime law enforcement, and participates in joint operations with U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO), other DHS components, and other law enforcement agencies. AMO seeks to predict, detect, identify, classify, track, deter, and interdict threats to the continuity of border security of the United States and to safeguard our homeland through the coordinated application of aviation and maritime law enforcement resources within the air, sea, and land. This includes detecting and deterring illicit border crossings; interdicting targets; conducting investigative activities; collecting intelligence; performing patrols and surveillance; and preventing the import/export of illegal merchandise and contraband.
Domain Awareness
AMO requires air and maritime domain awareness, to achieve air and maritime security. This refers to the ability to continuously detect, monitor, and track all potential airborne or maritime threats operating within or approaching U.S. borders in diverse environments varying in weather, terrain, and lighting conditions. Domain awareness for land surveillance includes situational awareness coordination with USBP to enable the detection, identification, classification, and tracking of land threats using a variety of capabilities. Situational awareness is a more comprehensive understanding of a domain; it fuses domain awareness with information and intelligence that provides a detailed overview of the operating environment. Both domain and situational awareness are critical elements in AMO’s ability to successfully execute the surveillance continuum of predicting, detecting, tracking, identifying, classifying, responding, and resolving threats.
Contingency Operations and National Tasking Operations
AMO provides aviation and maritime expertise, observation, and protection, and other related air and marine capabilities as part of a whole-of-government approach to major and large-scale incidents. For contingency operations, such as disaster response, AMO coordinates domestically and internationally as necessary with CBP components, such as USBP and OFO, as well as international, federal, state, and local law enforcement and other government agencies. Contingency and national security operations include, but are not limited to search and rescue operations, federal disaster relief, humanitarian relief, designated National Special Security Event, terror threat response, active shooter incidents, and partnering with non-law enforcement foreign operations for training and exercises.
Extended Border and Foreign Operations
AMO’s extended border and foreign operations include U.S. and foreign government partners. This mission area involves detecting, identifying, classifying, tracking, and interdicting targets and exploiting signals in the Source and Transit Zones while conducting combined and joint operations, such as missions conducted in the Western and Southern hemispheres. These operations foster partnerships with foreign governments and collaboration with foreign law enforcement operations. Examples include extraditing prisoners, performing counter-illicit trafficking operations with foreign government host nation riders, and coordinating with foreign government air and surface assets.
On August 28, 2019 National Air Security Operations Center - Grand Forks officially consolidated operations on Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The newly renovated facility enabled AMO to consolidate its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and manned aircraft operations under one organizational structure and facility on Grand Forks Air Force Base.
During Hurricane Dorian, AMO was one of first agencies to reach Abaco Island with aircraft/personal to aide in rescue and recovery efforts. AMO responded with (1) MEA, (1) BE-20, (2) DHC-8, (3) P-3, (2) AS350, (6) UH-60, (5) Marine Vessels. AMO rescued 52 people, relocated dozens of injured people, transported first responders, and delivered supplies and water.
AMO took delivery of 10 new 41-Foot SAFE Boats in FY19, enhancing our Marine Units’ abilities to defend the waterways along our nation’s borders from terrorism.
In August 2019, AMO approved the Tactical Water Survival Training (TWST) program for all AMO Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA). TWST was developed in direct response to conditions reported by MIAs who have seen an increase in opposed boardings, improvised weapons, and dangerously overloaded migrant vessels.
2018
AMO announces NASOC-San Angelo as a permanent operating location.
The Caribbean Air and Marine Branch opens a new state-of-the-art marine unit facility in Fajardo, PR.
2015
The Office of Air and Marine will now be known as Air and Marine Operations (AMO), as of October 1, 2015.
No other organization in the federal government can do what AMO does--interdict, investigate, operate,--the name was changed to better convey the mission of AMO.
Met and exceeded flight hour goal, flying 97,228 hours. The largest total flight hours flown since 2010.
2012
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine (OAM) aircrews provided logistic support, personnel transport, conducted damage assessment and reconnaissance flights following Hurricane Sandy.
OAM establishes the Chicago Air Unit; one of its first missions is to provide support during the May 2012 North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit.
OAM completes the replacement of aircraft wings on 5 P-3 aircraft, increasing the service life of each airframe by an additional 15,000 hours of flight time, or approximately 18 to 20 years of service. OAM also upgrades the transom on 10 Interceptor Class: Coastal 39-Foot Midnight Express marine vessels, extending their service life by approximately 7 to 8 years per vessel.
Over the course of the fiscal year, OAM contributes to the apprehension of 65,093 undocumented aliens, and the seizure of 1,038,388 pounds of marijuana and 148,818 pounds of cocaine.
2011
OAM takes delivery of its first Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA), which begins flying operationally along the Southwest Border Region. The MEA is the latest addition to OAM's aircraft fleet, and performs marine interdiction, limited air-to-air interdiction, land interdiction, and transportation of cargo and people.
Over the course of the fiscal year, OAM contributes to the apprehension of 39,407 undocumented aliens, and the seizure of 1,480,086 pounds of marijuana and 151,969 pounds of cocaine.
2010
OAM provides humanitarian support to Haiti following a devastating earthquake.
OAM provides aerial support to Operation Deepwater Horizon to track the flow of the oil spill and recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.
OAM successfully tests the Guardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which is capable of maritime surveillance of illegal activity in littoral waters.
2009
OAM provides airspace security and air support for the Presidential Inauguration. This event represents an unprecedented level of cooperation, collaboration and operational synergy. OAM also provides airspace security to help ensure that the American public is safe from threats of terrorism during the Super Bowl and other high profile events.
OAM opens a Predator B UAS Operations Center in North Dakota at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Almost immediately, this unit (now known as the National Air Security Operations Center - Grand Forks) gains national attention for its support during the Red River Valley floods of 2009, where the UAS completes more than 30 hours of flight time mapping the flooded areas of North Dakota and Minnesota.
To improve the agency's intelligence-gathering and its response to maritime threats, OAM opens 11 new marine units. The unit placement increases OAM's ability to rapidly interdict suspect vessels traveling primary maritime transit corridors.
OAM opens the National Capital Region Air Branch near Washington, D.C. The NCR Air Branch, and its subordinate New York Air Unit, support numerous law enforcement partners and provides support for National Special Security Events.
OAM receives a new Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator marine vessel, which illustrates new capabilities for future marine assets.
Over the course of the fiscal year, OAM contributes to the arrest of over 1,610 narcotics smugglers, the seizure of over 167,000 pounds of marijuana and cocaine and the apprehension of over 59,960 illegal aliens.
2008
With the opening of the Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch, OAM opens the final of five primary air branches along the Northern Border Region.
OAM acquires its fifth and sixth Predator B UAS and begins testing a new maritime variant of the Predator B UAS.
The Air and Marine Operations Center in Riverside, California, successfully takes command and control of operations during UAS flights.
During the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season, OAM uses the UAS to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hurricane preparations and recovery operations. OAM maps critical infrastructure before and after each event, and provides streaming video of the hurricane damage to aid first responders.
Throughout the fiscal year, OAM contributes to the arrest of over 1,850 narcotics smugglers, the seizure of over 363,000 pounds of marijuana and cocaine, and the apprehension of over 72,370 illegal aliens.
2007
The National Air Training Center opens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The first Air and Marine Basic Class graduates from the CBP Field Operations Academy in Glynco, Georgia.
OAM provides supplemental air support for Super Bowl XLI, marking the beginning of OAM's participation in the security of National Special Security Events.
2006
CBP announces the integration of CBP's marine assets into CBP Air, creating the Office of Air and Marine.
2005
CBP combines air assets from the Office of Air and Marine Operations and the Border Patrol into CBP Air, the largest civilian law enforcement air force in the world.
CBP begins operations of its first Predator B UAS.
2004
DHS transfers Air and Marine Operations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to CBP.
The first two Northern Border Region air branches become operational in Bellingham, Washington and Plattsburgh, New York.
2003
The Air and Marine Interdiction Division transitions from the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service to the Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is renamed the Office of Air and Marine Operations.
Congress mandates the creation of a Northern Border Region Air Wing formed of five new air branches.
20002
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs authorizes Customs Marine Officers to utilize warning shots and disabling fire to interdict noncompliant vessels suspected of smuggling.
1999- 1789
1999
U.S. Customs Service merges its air and marine assets into one operational organization.
1989
U.S. Customs Service opens the Air and Marine Operations Center in Riverside, California, as the as the nation's law enforcement air security center.
1985
U.S. Customs Service takes possession of its first P-3 aircraft, which was previously on loan from the U.S. Navy.
1984
U.S. Customs Service P-3 operations begin with a single P-3 aircraft on loan from the U.S. Navy.
1973
U.S. Customs Service begins its modern era marine program as part of the Customs Patrol Division.
1969
Customs Aviation Program is established by Congress to address airborne drug smuggling.
1932
A record-high 35 aircraft are seized for smuggling. This leads to the establishment of an unofficial Customs Patrol Air Group. The new aerial surveillance focuses their efforts on the southern U.S. border.
1922
U.S. Customs Service Patrol begins to utilize seized aircraft to enable aerial surveillance and enforcement.
1808
Boatsmen Asa March and Elis Drake became the first Customs officers to die in the line of duty. They gave their lives during a marine interdiction and subsequent gunfight on Lake Champlain in New York.
1789
U.S. Customs Service is established to aid in the protection of the revenue of the United States and to prevent the smuggling of contraband. A fleet of vessels begin to patrol the coastal waters of the United States. Congress authorized the Collector of Customs to acquire boats and hire boatsmen. These vessels and boatsmen were the forerunners of today's Midnight Express Interceptor vessels and Marine Interdiction Agents.
SAN DIEGO– U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents stopped a boat off the coast of San Diego early Thursday morning with 18 people on board trying to illegally enter the U.S.
At about 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, the crew of a multirole enforcement aircraft on routine patrol off the coast of San Diego spotted a panga running with no lights, out at sea, leave Mexican territorial waters headed to the U.S. The crew tracked the panga before handing it off to the crew of a second multi-role enforcement aircraft, who continued to track the boat. At the same time, two crews aboard coastal interceptor vessels made their way towards the panga.
“The crews aboard both aircraft were critical to the initial detection and continued tracking of the vessel,” said Tim Sutherland, Director of Air and Marine Operations for CBP in San Diego.
At about 2 a.m., the CBP marine interdiction agents aboard one of the boats intercepted the panga about 35 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego, and stopped the boat without incident.
Agents encountered 18 adults aboard the boat, 16 men and two women. Both coastal interceptor crews transported the group of 18 to the dock, where they were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents. All 18 were Mexican nationals with no legal status in the U.S., and were taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for further processing.
CBP marine interdiction agents seized the 35-foot panga.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call 9-1-1, and you will be directed through the proper channels.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a member agency of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM). Other members include federal, and state and local law-enforcement agencies operating in Southern California. The ReCoM utilizes intelligence, planning, and joint operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the coastal border.
SAN DIEGO– Two boats attempting to enter the U.S. illegally along the San Diego coast failed to yield to CBP Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard, leading to CBP marine interdiction agents shooting out one engine at sea, and U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehending 14 others after their boat landed at Dog Beach early Friday morning.
“We had multiple agencies involved in bringing this dangerous smuggling attempt to a safe conclusion,” said Christopher Hunter, Director of Marine Operations for CBP in San Diego. “Smugglers have no regard for the lives and safety of everyone on board when they make reckless maritime maneuvers.”
At about 1 a.m. on July 3, a CBP multi-role enforcement aircraft tracked two pangas as they crossed from Mexican territorial waters towards the U.S. The aircraft directed a CBP coastal interceptor boat to the location of one panga, and a U.S. Coast Guard small boat to the other panga.
At about 3:30 a.m., the CBP coastal interceptor boat reached the first panga with lights and sirens going, directing the panga to stop. However, the panga failed to yield and instead fled from the CBP marine interdiction agents. The marine interdiction agents fired two marine warning shots, and the panga still failed to yield. Finally, the marine interdiction agents fired a disabling round into the panga’s engine, which stopped the boat about five miles from Point Loma. On board, marine interdiction agents found seven people.
The USCG small boat reached the second panga, which also failed to yield. The second panga was able to land on Ocean Beach in San Diego, near the area known as Dog Beach. U.S. Border Patrol agents in place along the beach immediately apprehended four individuals on the beach who attempted to climb out of the boat and flee. Agents apprehended nine others in a nearby park with assistance from the crew of the multi-role enforcement aircraft.
One additional person fled by trying to swim away from agents on the beach. Thanks to a citizen calling in with information, U.S. Border Patrol agents were able to apprehend him on the jetty at Dog Beach.
The marine interdiction agents brought the seven individuals from the first boat safely to the dock, and turned them over to U.S. Border Patrol agents for processing. Border Patrol agents determined that all seven, six men, ages 19-50, and one woman, age 29, were Mexican nationals with no legal ability to enter the U.S.
U.S. Border Patrol agents also processed the 14 individuals they apprehended from the second boat. The group included: three women, ages 27-40; ten men, ages 18-45, and one unaccompanied male teenager. All were Mexican nationals with no legal ability to enter the U.S.
In both cases, CBP Air and Marine Operations seized the panga boats.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call the San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center at 1-800-854-9834 extension 1, or notify local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a member of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM). The ReCoM is comprised of Department of Homeland Security agencies to include the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations, Border Patrol, Office of Field Operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and numerous state and local law-enforcement agencies. The ReCoM utilizes intelligence, planning, and joint operations to combat the threat of transnational crime along the California coast.
OCOTILLO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued seven illegal aliens in distress in the Jacumba Wilderness region within 18 hours.
BORSTAR EMT agents medically evaluated and treated the four subjects, who were out of water
The first incident occurred on Monday at approximately 2:55 p.m., when El Centro Sector Communications Dispatch was notified by the California Highway Patrol of a distress call made by an individual who illegally crossed the international boundary in the mountains 23 miles west of Calexico. The information was relayed to El Centro Station agents performing their assigned duties in the area and they responded to the location to begin searching for the man.
At approximately 3:00 p.m., air support from CBP’S Air and Marine Operations located the lost 28-year-old Mexican man under a tree in the median of the interstate. A crewmember from the air unit was able to provide him with water until Border Patrol agents arrived on scene. Agents assessed the man and determined he was suffering from heat stress. Agents coordinated with Emergency Medical Services and transported the man to the Ocotillo Chevron gas station to meet the ambulance. The man was then transported to the local hospital for treatment and was released a few hours later. Agents took the illegal alien to the rally point for processing and expelled the man back to Mexico.
A Rescue K9 partner assisted in the rescue of two subjects lost in the mountains 23 miles west of Calexico
The second incident occurred on Tuesday morning at 1:50 a.m., when El Centro Station agents were notified of a distress call made by an individual who illegally crossed the international boundary in the mountains 23 miles west of Calexico. The individual stated he was with another man and that they were lost and out of water. El Centro Sector BORSTAR (Border Search Trauma and Rescue) agents and a Search and Rescue K9 partner responded to the area to assist in the search.
At approximately 6:05 a.m., BORSTAR Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) agents located the two lost individuals, provided water, and medically evaluated them. The two individuals, both illegal alien men from Mexico, were taken into custody after their medical evaluation. Both subjects were expelled to their country of origin.
The third incident occurred simultaneously as BORSTAR agents were conducting the second rescue. At approximately 5:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, the El Centro Sector Border Intelligence Center received information from a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) regarding four lost subjects in the mountain area near Ocotillo. The distress call stated that the subjects were lost and dehydrated. Agents already working on the second rescue were advised of the Global Positioning System coordinates of the group and coordinated rescue efforts. San Diego Sector BORSTAR responded to the area to assist in the rescue.
At approximately 8:40 a.m., BORSTAR agents located the four lost subjects. BORSTAR EMT agents medically evaluated and treated the four subjects, who were out of water. All four were illegal aliens from Mexico and were expelled to their country of origin after medical evaluation.
The fourth incident occurred at approximately 2:55 p.m., when the El Centro Station received a call from an individual claiming that his brother was lost in the mountains south of Ocotillo. The individual provided a picture that his brother sent him of his approximate location. The information was immediately relayed to BORSTAR and agents patrolling near that area. Agents advised the individual to call his brother and tell him to call 9-1-1 so they could provide agents with better GPS coordinates.
At approximately 5:03 p.m., BORSTAR agents located the lost subject along with eight other individuals in the immediate area. The man had been without food and water for several days. He claimed that his legs were cramping and was unable to walk any further in the vigorous terrain. The temperature was 110 degrees; BORSTAR agents provided water and assisted the man in descending the rocky mountainous terrain. Once they reached the bottom of the mountain, BORSTAR and advance Emergency Medical Technicians evaluated the man for dehydration. He claimed that he was feeling better and declined further medical assistance.
Due to the coordination and cooperation with BORSTAR and the EL Centro Station, the lost man was located and rescued before furthering endangering his life. In total, nine individuals were apprehended and transported to the Border Patrol immigration rally point for processing. The individuals, all Mexican nationals, were expelled back to their country of origin.
“Saving lives takes teamwork. Our local and federal partners are crucial assets during Border Patrol rescues, and continue to play a major role in these life-saving efforts,” stated Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino. “Temperatures are expected to reach 116 degrees in Imperial County this week, making crossing illegally more dangerous than ever.”
AMO, USCG & Palm Beach deputies apprehend 23 migrants in West Palm Beach, work with USBP & Key West Police apprehending 20 in Key West
MIAMI – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents, along with their partners, worked two early morning migrant interdictions in South Florida, leading to the arrest of 23 Haitian migrants near West Palm Beach, and 20 Cubans near Key West, all attempting to illegally enter the U.S.
23 illegal migrants apprehended after making landfall in Key West, Florida.
Late Tuesday night, an AMO Multi-Role Enforcement aircraft crew on a border security patrol detected a vessel off the Florida coast that appeared to be overloaded and operating without navigational lights. The aircrew notified AMO Marine units, crews from West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Ft. Pierce responded, and were joined by U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) interdiction vessels. Working together, agents jointly intercepted the suspect vessel approximately six miles offshore from the Boynton Beach area.
Upon activating emergency lights, the suspect vessel fled, and agents pursued. Eventually, the suspect vessel stopped and complied. Agents encountered a total of 23 illegal migrants on board. All vessel passengers were identified from Haiti. The migrants were detained and taken onboard US Coast Guard Cutter IBIS for identification and interviewing.
This rustic vessel was used by illegal migrants attempting to reach the U.S.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified and responded to assist the ongoing investigation along with AMO and USCG.
In the second event, AMO agents were notified early Thursday by Key West officials that a large group of migrants had landed near the Southernmost Point monument. AMO Marine Interdiction Agents responded and joined U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents and members of the Key West Police Department in searching for the group. Working together, agents apprehended 20 Cuban nationals and USBP agents transported the migrants for processing. A small migrant vessel was located near the monument, and it sank as U.S. Coast Guard attempted to move it.
“This event is a great example of why border security and national security are a team effort. Air and Marine Operations possesses highly skilled agents with cutting edge capabilities. When we work together as part of a team with our colleagues at U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and state and local partners in South Florida, all capabilities are multiplied, and we are tremendously successful”, said Southeast Region Executive Director John Priddy. “I am proud of the work our crews did in these events.”
All illegal aliens were processed in accordance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines. Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Follow @USBPChiefMIP @CBPAMORegDirSE and @CBPFlordia on Twitter.
OCOTILLO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued two illegal aliens abandoned and in distress in the Jacumba Wilderness region in last night.
The incident occurred on Thursday at approximately 7:40 p.m., when El Centro Sector Communications Dispatch was notified by California Highway Patrol Communications of a distress call made by a two individuals. The caller, a 34-year-old female, stated the she and her cousin, a 17-year-old male, were lost and had been abandoned by a larger group they were originally traveling with. She also stated that her cousin had sprained his ankle along the way. This information was relayed to the El Centro Station shift supervisor along with GPS coordinates based on the cell phone tower usage during the call. Agents performing their assigned duties in the area responded to the location to begin searching for the pair using the GPS coordinates.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., an Air and Marine Operations (AMO) helicopter assigned to the Yuma Air Branch operating in the area responded to the call and assisted with the search. At approximately 8:40 p.m., the air unit observed an individual shining a light at their aircraft and determined the light was from the lost individuals. They used it to guided agents on the ground to the location of the two individuals.
At approximately 8:45 p.m., agents made contact with the pair. They were evaluated and both appeared be in relatively good health with no major injuries. The both of them declined any further medical attention.
Both individuals were determined to be illegal aliens from Mexico. They were taken to the rally point for processing and both were expelled back to Mexico.
FAJARDO, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents seized 43 pounds (19.4 kilos) and arrested a man Tuesday afternoon attempting to elude detection near Playa Colorá. The narcotics have an estimated street value is $485,000.
“Our AMO crews have been very busy working to address the illicit activity in the eastern coast of the island,” stated Johnny Morales, Director, Air and Marine Operations for the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. “
During patrol, an AMO Marine Unit encountered a vessel navigating at full speed west towards Fajardo. Upon spotting law enforcement, the occupants jettisoned a bag to the water and changed course. The AMO Unit pursued.
The vessel made a hard landfall in Playa Colorá, Fajardo, where Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA) were able to arrest one of the occupants. The MIA’s recovered a duffle bag where they found 17 bricks that field tested positive to the properties of cocaine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in charge of the prosecution and investigation of the case.
Air and Marine Operations (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 conducts its mission in the air and maritime environments at and beyond the border, and within the nation's interior.
FAJARDO, Puerto Rico - Agentes de Operaciones Aéreas y Marítimas (AMO) de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) Estados Unidos incautaron 43 libras (19,4 kilos) de cocaína y arrestaron a un hombre el martes por la tarde intentando eludir la detección cerca de Playa Colorá. Los narcóticos tienen un valor estimado en la calle de $ 485,000.
"Nuestros equipos de AMO han estado muy ocupados trabajando para abordar la actividad ilícita en la costa este de la isla", dijo Johnny Morales, Director de Operaciones Aéreas y Marítimas de la Rama Aérea y Marina del Caribe. "
Durante la patrulla, una unidad marítima de la AMO se encontró con una embarcación que navegaba a toda velocidad hacia el oeste hacia Fajardo. Al ver a la policía, los ocupantes arrojaron una bolsa al agua y cambiaron de rumbo. La Unidad AMO persiguió a la embarcación.
El bote desembarco en Playa Colorá, Fajardo, donde los Agentes de Interdicción Marítima (MIA) pudieron arrestar a uno de los ocupantes. Los agentes recuperaron una bolsa de lona donde encontraron 17 ladrillos que arrojaron un resultado positivo a las propiedades de la cocaína.
La Administración de Control de Drogas (DEA) está a cargo del enjuiciamiento y la investigación del caso.
Las operaciones aéreas y marítimas (AMO) protegen a nuestra nación al anticipar y enfrentar las amenazas de seguridad a través de nuestra experiencia en la aplicación de la ley de aviación y marítima, capacidades innovadoras y asociaciones en la frontera y más allá. Con aproximadamente 1,800 agentes federales y personal de apoyo a la misión, 240 aviones y 300 embarcaciones marinas operando en todo Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes estadounidenses, AMO lleva a cabo su misión en los entornos aéreos y marítimos dentro y fuera de la frontera, y dentro de interior de la nación.
The crew of the USCG cutter rescued all 14 people and found no injuries. The crew also pulled three packages containing a total of 82 pounds of methamphetamine from the ocean.
SAN DIEGO – Crews from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard stopped a boat Sunday off the coast of San Diego that capsized after fleeing from authorities, pulling 14 people and 82 pounds of methamphetamine from the water.
At about 4:30 a.m. on July 26, a crew aboard a multi-role enforcement aircraft was on patrol from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. The crew spotted a pleasure craft traveling northbound out of Mexican territorial waters with no navigational lights on. The crew aboard the aircraft coordinated with the crew aboard a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.
The aircraft crew directed the cutter crew to the location of the pleasure boat, which had 14 people on board. About three nautical miles west of Point Loma, the cutter intercepted the vessel, signaling with lights and sirens for them to stop; however, the pleasure craft instead fled, tossing packages overboard.
Following the boat, the cutter crew observed the pleasure craft take on water and capsize, about nine nautical miles west of Mission Bay, and all 14 people enter the water.
The crew of the USCG cutter rescued all 14 people and found no injuries. The crew also pulled three packages containing a total of 82 pounds of methamphetamine from the ocean.
All 14 people were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents for processing; agents determined they were Mexican nationals with no legal status to enter the U.S. Of the 14 individuals rescued 11 were males ages 18-52 and three females ages 22-32. Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Marine Task Force seized the narcotics.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call the San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center at 1-800-854-9834 extension 1, or notify local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.
The Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP’s Office of Air and Marine, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and state and local law enforcement partners operating in Southern California. ReCoM coordinates planning and operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the California coastal border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO), El Paso Air Branch conducted the final flight of the UH-1N ‘Huey’ helicopter for the agency on July, 29, 2020. The UH-1N is a twin-engine, medium-lift helicopter in operation with AMO since Feb. 10, 2015.
AMOs fleet of five UH-1Ns have been operated mainly along the southern border between the United States and Mexico as an air-mobility asset aiding in search and interdiction operations over rugged terrain. The UH-1N is the latest version of the Huey to be operated by a CBP component, who had previously operated other single engine variants of the UH-1 helicopter.
Since FY12, AMO’s UH-1’s have operated more than 8,000 hours, contributed to seizure of approximately 16,700 lbs of marijuana and 35 vehicles, contributed to the arrest or apprehension of 245,862 individuals, and was involved in the rescue of 152 individuals.
The fleet of N-model Huey’s are all former United States Marine Corps aircraft retired between August 2010 and September 2012 and subsequently upgraded to meet the needs of AMO’s mission set. Upgrades include a new communication suite, glass cockpit displays, new wire-strike kit, high-skid landing gear and tail boom and rotor modifications. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 engine received electrical and fuel system upgrades and installation of extended exhaust deflectors. Each aircraft received the $1.3 million upgrade to AMO standard by Rotorcraft Support Inc. of Van Nuys, California.
The versatility of the UH-1N aircraft meant its crews were often requested to collaborate with the ongoing enforcement missions along the approximately 800 miles of international border from Sanderson Texas to the Arizona / New Mexico State line. Missions performed included transportation of agents, aerial search for subjects, rescue and retrieval of subjects and narcotics or other contraband.
For some missions, specialized personnel such as Emergency Medical Technicians enhance the life-saving potential for those in need of medical attention. AMO has also utilized the UH-1Ns for natural disaster relief and emergency response, including during Hurricane Harvey which devastated Houston, Texas. Closer to home, El Paso Air Branch deployed an UH-1N to assist the El Paso Police Department during the mass casualty event, August 3, 2019.
“The UH-1 Huey has been a valuable asset, allowing our agents to carry out their law enforcement and humanitarian missions,” said El Paso Air Branch Director, John Stonehouse. “Our aircrews, working in coordination with the U.S. Border Patrol, and other federal, state, and local agencies, have directly contributed to increased mission effectiveness and lives saved. We are looking forward to even greater accomplishments, as we transition our air fleet to the UH-60 Black Hawk.”
The retired UH-1N airframes will be sold on the commercial market. The funds generated will be returned to the AMO operating budget and immediately applied to sustainment of the UH-60 Black Hawk fleet, which replaces the UH-1N along the southern border and is in use across the continental United States and Puerto Rico. The UH-1N was acquired and intended to be a short-term asset to bridge the gap of medium lift helicopter capabilities, as AMO initiated the UH-60 Service Life Extension Plan. With that program underway and the recent approval to standardize the medium lift helicopter fleet to the UH-60, the UH-1N served its purpose in keeping AMO’s capabilities viable as we transitioned.
AMO’s El Paso Air Branch has the largest Area of Responsibility in the Southwest Region, including West Texas, all of New Mexico, and all of Oklahoma.
EDINBURG, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector interdict three drug smuggling attempts.
Yesterday, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents working near La Casita, Texas, observed a truck leave the Rio Grande at a high rate of speed. As the agents attempted to stop the truck, the driver suddenly pulled over and ran into a nearby field. The driver led agents on a short foot pursuit before being taken into custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of more than 70 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated $2.3M. Border Patrol turned the case over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Moments later, agents responded to a residence in Falcon Heights after receiving information of suspected drug smuggling activity. As agents arrived, they observed multiple subjects removing bundles of suspected narcotics from a truck. Upon seeing the agents, the men abandoned the bundles and ran into the nearby brush. After searching the immediate area, agents seized 67 bundles of marijuana weighing over 730 pounds, worth an estimated $585K. Border Patrol turned the vehicle and drugs over to the Starr County Sheriff’s Office.
A short while later, Fort Brown agents responded to report of three drug smugglers walking north of the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas. With the assistance of a CBP Air and Marine Operations air asset, agents arrested three Mexican nationals and the seized more than 73 pounds of marijuana, worth nearly $59K.
Border Patrol processed the subjects and cases accordingly.
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.
Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV, @USBPChiefRGV and @USBPDepChiefRGV.
AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection components, US Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations (AMO) interdicted four men that were caught smuggling 614 pounds (278.6 Kilos) of cocaine Friday near Cabo Rojo. The estimated value of the seized contraband is $ 7 million.
“This is just a dent in this drug trafficking business. Every time a shipment of narcotics enters Puerto Rico, a series of criminal events is triggered that almost always ends in violence and murder,” stated Xavier Morales, Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector. “It is everyone's responsibility to ensure our safety and improve our quality of life in Puerto Rico. We ask that you report any suspicious activity in your community. It's up to all of us.”
Late Thursday evening, a Border Patrol agent on patrol detected a lights out vessel with persons on board land near Villa Pesquera in Cabo Rojo, offloading items on a vehicle parked nearby. The agent requested assistance.
A CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) conducting a border security patrol detected a vessel was lights out heading southbound at a high rate of speed. The MPA maintained surveillance of the suspect vessel to assist an AMO Marine Unit to intercept, arresting two men on board.
On land Border Patrol ground units along with Cabo Rojo Municipal Police, an Operation Stonegarden partner, intercepted the suspected vehicle near la Pita Haya ward of Cabo Rojo, arresting two men, and one person absconded. Inside the vehicle 11 bales of cocaine were found.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assumed custody of the contraband along with four men, two from the Dominican Republic and two United States citizens, for investigation and prosecution.
The Operation Stonegarden Grant Program (OPSG) is designed to enhance cooperation and coordination from the U.S. Border Patrol with local, tribal, territorial, state and federal law enforcement agencies in a joint mission to secure the border.
The Ramey Sector is one of the twenty-one Sectors spread out across the United States. Encompassing the U.S. territorial islands of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it is the only Border Patrol Sector located outside the continental United States. The Sector's entire border area is made up of coastline and its area of responsibility is made up of some 6,000 square miles of land and water area, including the twelve-mile band of territorial water surrounding the Islands.
For anonymous tips, contact us at 1(800)981-1313.
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The panga boat was seized by AMO San Diego Marine Unit.
SAN DIEGO – Crews from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted a panga boat with 19 illegal aliens on board off the coast of Dana Point, on Friday.
At about 12:48 a.m. on August 7, a crew aboard a multi-role enforcement aircraft (MEA) spotted a single engine panga-style vessel traveling northbound out of Mexican territorial waters with no navigational lights on and with multiple persons on board. As the boat continued moving northbound into U.S. territorial waters the MEA crew continued updating position, course and speed of the suspected vessel.
Of the 19 individuals detained, 18 were adult males and one adult female.
At about 3:30 a.m., the MEA crew directed a San Diego Marine Unit Coastal Interceptor Vessel (CIV) to the location of the panga boat about 11 nautical miles west of Dana Point. Without further incident, marine interdiction agents took all 19 individuals, all whom claimed to be Mexican nationals, into custody aboard the CIV. Of the 19 individuals detained, 18 were adult males and one adult female.
“This interception exemplifies the unique air and sea coordination, vigilance and law enforcement capabilities of our highly skilled interdiction agents in keeping our coastal border safe,” said Timothy Sutherland, AMO San Diego Air and Marine Branch. “The combination of expertise, technology and training were the key for the success of this operation.”
With the assistance of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Halibut the group was transported to Dana Point Harbor, where the 19 people were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol for processing; agents confirmed the subjects were Mexican nationals with no legal status to enter the U.S. The subjects were transported to the nearest Border Patrol Station for the final processing and removal from the U.S.
The San Diego Air and Marine Branch Marine Unit seized the panga.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call the San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center at 1-800-854-9834 extension 1, or notify local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.
The Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP’s Office of Air and Marine, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and state and local law enforcement partners operating in Southern California. ReCoM coordinates planning and operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the California coastal border.
AMO agents arrested four individuals, seized 528 lbs. of methamphetamine and the 28’ panga-style vessel.
SAN DIEGO – In less than 24 hours, crews from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) in coordination with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted two smuggling boats, arrested six individuals, and seized over 528 lbs. of methamphetamine and 941 lbs. of marijuana off the California coast.
The first incident occurred about 12:10 a.m. on August 8, when an AMO Multi-role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) crew detected a suspicious panga-style boat, traveling north bound off the San Diego coast. At 1:10 a.m. USCG Cutter Forrest Rednour crew confirmed the panga boat had no navigation lights, launched their smallboat, and attempted to stop the suspect vessel. The subjects drove aggressively impacting the right rear quarter panel of the USCG Cutter’s smallboat.
As an AMO coastal interceptor vessel crew took over on the pursuit, the suspects made several attempts to collide with the AMO vessel, and intentionally struck the AMO vessel as well.
AMO agents deployed warning shots and ultimately placed several disabling rounds into the suspects’ engine to bring it to a stop
In compliance with CBP policy, AMO agents deployed warning shots and ultimately placed several disabling rounds into the suspects’ engine to bring it to a stop, at approximately 12 nautical miles west of Oceanside. AMO agents arrested four individuals, seized 528 lbs. of methamphetamine and the 28’ panga-style vessel. All four individuals and narcotics were turned over to U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the vessel was seized by AMO.
AMO agents and USCG officers discovered 941 lbs. of marijuana wrapped in cellophane packages
The second incident occurred at about 3:28 p.m. on August 8, when USCG Cutter Haddock crew made initial contact and boarded a suspicious vessel in San Diego Bay alerting the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC). A San Diego Marine Unit coastal interceptor vessel crew responded to a call from the JHOC indicating the presence of a suspicious fishing boat docked at San Diego Bay channel. AMO agents boarded the vessel and found two occupants that did not have proper documentation to be in the United States.
A CBP canine team was requested which alerted to the center console of the vessel.
AMO agents took the two occupants and vessel into custody, towing the vessel to U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego. A CBP San Diego Office of Field Operations (OFO) canine team was requested which alerted to the center console of the vessel. AMO agents and USCG officers discovered 941 lbs. of marijuana wrapped in cellophane packages. The two subjects and marijuana were turned over to the HSI San Diego Marine Task Force for processing; the vessel was seized by AMO.
“This is an outstanding example of the skills, qualifications, training and disciplined adherence to standards that our personnel bring to the fight in this dangerous maritime environment, said Timothy Sutherland, AMO San Diego Air and Marine Branch. “Confronting smugglers in the maritime environment is extremely dangerous, this case demonstrates how by failing to heave to the vessels’ crew orders, the subjects had no regard for the safety of AMO agents and USCG officers.”
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call the San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center at 1-800-854-9834 extension 1, or notify local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.
The Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, Office of Intelligence, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and state and local law enforcement partners operating in Southern California. ReCoM coordinates planning and operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the California coastal border.
At about 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, the crew of a multirole enforcement aircraft on routine patrol off the coast of San Diego spotted a panga running with no lights, out at sea, leave Mexican territorial waters headed to the U.S. The crew tracked the panga before handing it off to the crew of a second multi-role enforcement aircraft, who continued to track the boat. At the same time, two crews aboard coastal interceptor vessels made their way towards the panga.
