US CBP AMO P-3 Aircrew Partners with El Salvadorian Law Enforcement, Seizes 3,300 Pounds of Cocaine

Air and Marine Operations (AMO), an operational component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, leveraged its long-range detection capabilities to assist in the interdiction of a go-fast vessel smuggling narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.

During a routine patrol, an AMO P-3 Long Range Tracker crew detected a suspicious go-fast vessel and relayed the information to Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S). The AMO aircrew provided real-time tracking and vectored an El Salvadorian law enforcement vessel to interdict.

As the law enforcement vessel closed in, the smugglers jettisoned their contraband in an attempt to evade capture. The AMO P-3 aircrew maintained surveillance, later relocating the debris field and directing authorities to recover the discarded narcotics. El Salvadorian law enforcement successfully interdicted the go-fast, detaining three individuals, and seized approximately 3,300 pounds of cocaine.