U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO), conducted an outbound investigation of a suspicious aircraft on Saturday, August 15th., locating a weapons stockpile along with a large amount of U.S. currency.
AMO agents from the Fort Lauderdale Marine Unit were alerted of an aircraft movement related to an ongoing investigation on Saturday evening. Officers from CBP’s OFO, HSI, and the FAA responded to detain the aircraft headed to St. Vincent and conducted an inspection of the Learjet.
HSI arrested two Venezuelan nationals. The AMO Fort Lauderdale Marine Unit seized the aircraft and one vehicle. OFO officers seized 18 assault/bolt action rifles with optics, six shotguns, 58 semi-automatic pistols, $20,312 in U.S. currency, and $2,618.53 in endorsed checks.
In Fiscal Year 2019, AMO enforcement actions resulted in the seizure or disruption of 284,825 pounds of cocaine, 101,874 pounds of marijuana, 51,058 pounds of methamphetamine, 935 weapons and $34.1 million, 1,575 arrests, 52,036 apprehensions of illegal aliens.
