CBP’s Air and Marine Operations interdicted 62 tons of drugs in first three months of year

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square

Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations interdicted 62 tons (124,000 pounds) of illicit drugs in the first three months of this year, CBP reports, working with international, federal, state, and local partners.

“Collaboration keeps us all safer,” CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said of their efforts. “CBP AMO works with U.S. and international partners to stem the flow of illicit narcotics. Through the end of March, AMO has contributed to the seizure of over 124,000 lbs of narcotics by partner agencies.”

AMO, working with partner organizations, said it confiscated 86,210 pounds of cocaine ($665,110,150 estimated street value), 31,707 pounds of marijuana ($25,682,670 estimated street value), 5,661 pounds of methamphetamine ($51,355,686.24 estimated street value), 664 pounds of fentanyl, and 271 pounds of heroin ($6,144,654 estimated street value). Among them, only fentanyl and heroin are narcotics, though Magnus included the others with his total figures.

The Drug Enforcement Administration defines narcotics as those that relieve pain and dull the senses. The term is most commonly associated with opioids, including fentanyl and heroin.

Texas and Florida based AMOs agents seized over 15 tons of cocaine from January to March of this year alone with an estimated street value of $383,640,000.

Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, several teams operate P-3 aircraft throughout North, Central, and South America to prevent human and drug smuggling. AMO agents use aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise to interdict criminal activity throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

National Air Security Operations Center P-3 Long Range Tracker and Airborne Early Warning System aircrews worked with several partners to seize 30,535 pounds of cocaine ($235,577,525 estimated street value) and 7,877 pounds of marijuana ($6,380,370 estimated street value) in international waters from January to March of this year, CBP reports.

AMO crews frequently detect possible smuggling activity by using long-range radar capabilities in key maritime smuggling source and transit zones. On March 31, for example, a P-3 Long Range Tracker crew conducted a patrol over the Western Caribbean when agents detected a suspect driving a specific type of boat off the Panama coast.

AMO agents notified SOUTHCOM partners, and an international team was deployed to interdict. Working with a partner nation, they intercepted the suspect and seized nearly 5,000 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $66 million in estimated street value.

AMO includes 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft, and 300 marine vessels.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2022, AMO and its partners denied transnational criminal organizations an estimated $419 million.

In fiscal 2021, AMO enforcement actions led to 1,119 arrests and 122,035 apprehensions of illegal immigrants. They also seized or disrupted 324,772 pounds of cocaine ($2,505,615,980 estimated street value), 779,725 pounds of marijuana ($631,577,250 estimated street value), 18,548 pounds of methamphetamine ($168,264,488.32 estimated street value), 900 weapons, and $73.3 million in currency.