DrugsNews

Air and Marine Operations P-3 Crew and U.S. Southern Command Partners Seize 4.7 Tons of Cocaine in October and November

Air and Marine Operations (AMO) National Air Security Operations Center, P-3 Long Range Tracker crews and United States Southern Command partners conducted counternarcotics operations in and seized 9,475 pounds of cocaine in transit zones between October 1 and November 30, 2021. The coordinated effort between AMO, the federal government, and international partners denied transnational criminal organizations an estimated $179.2 million.

One-third of overall seizures occurred in a single night. On October 24, a P-3 Long Range Tracker crew detected a suspect go-fast vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and guided United States Coast Guard teams to the location. The AMO aircrew received reports of a second suspect go-fast vessel and guided Colombian Navy and National Aeronaval Service of Panama (SENAN) teams for interdiction. Both events resulted in the detention of six people and seizure of 2.8 tons of cocaine.