C.B.P. News Release

CBP Aircraft, Interagency Coordination Thwart Semi-Submersible

(Tuesday, July 28, 2009)

Jacksonville, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Air and Marine high-endurance P-3 aircraft were instrumental yesterday in interdicting a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel in the Eastern Pacific.

The CBP P-3 surveillance crew identified the semi-submersible off the coast of Colombia, and directed U.S. Coast Guard assets to intercept the vessel. The four-person crew of the semi-submersible, frequent constructed and used for smuggling, boarded an inflatable raft and scuttled the vessel.

Including this effort, CBP’s P-3 aircraft have contributed to the disruption of approximately 105,000 pounds of cocaine during the last 12 months.

“The CBP P-3 program has led the way through many highly successful law-enforcement efforts to detect and interdict semi-submersibles in joint operations with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy,â€