We Know Whose Cocaine it is: 5 Cartel Gang Members Arrested in Homemade Submarine

Last month, the aircrew detected an 85-foot Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible (SPSS) which led to arrest of five suspects and the seizure of over 8,200 pounds of cocaine.

“This is another great example of the collaborative work that goes on every day between AMO and our partners to keep illicit drugs from entering our country,” said Marshall Dillon, Director of Air and Marine Operations for the National Air Security Operations Center in Corpus Christi.

“The P-3 Aircrew detected, tracked, and led the interdiction of this SPSS by one of our partners.  This seizure kept over 84 million dollars in illicit proceeds from going to transnational criminal organizations.”

The crew of the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft was patrolling the waters southwest of Mexico in support of Operation Albatross. The AMO crew in conjunction with the Information Analysis Center (IAC) and other law enforcement partners detected the SPSS and monitored its movement.   The crew then coordinated the subsequent interdiction of the vessel which resulted in 8,232 pounds of cocaine seized and the apprehension of five suspects.     

The National Air Security Operations Center—Corpus Christi is a division of Air and Marine Operations and operates the Lockheed P-3 Orion conducting counterdrug patrol missions over the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Together with the National Air Security Operations Center in Jacksonville, Florida, Customs and Border Protection P-3 crews patrol the Source​ and Transit Zones, encompassing a 42 million-square-mile area from South America through the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

The mission of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations is to serve and protect the American people. It applies advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities and employs its unique skill sets to preserve America’s security interests. With 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, Air and Marine Operations uses its sophisticated fleets to detect, sort, intercept, track and apprehend criminals in diverse environments at and beyond U.S. borders.