Vital missions of an under-appreciated federal agency
A little-known element of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is its Office of Air and Marine (OAM).
The OAM consists to more than 1,200 federal agents, 290 aircraft, and 225 marine vessels, operating from 79 locations around the United States.
Its mission is to protect the American people and the nation’s critical infrastructure through the coordinated use of integrated air and marine forces to detect, interdict, and prevent acts of terrorism and the unlawful movement of people, illegal drugs, and other contraband toward or across US borders.
During fiscal year 2009, OAM contributed to the arrest of over 1,600 narcotics smugglers, the seizure of over 160,000 pounds of cocaine and 1,200,000 pounds of marijuana, and the apprehension of over 50,000 undocumented aliens.
OAM operates three Predator B unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from Fort Huachuca, Arizona and another two Predator B UAS from Grand Forks, North Dakota.
A sixth Predator B UAS, referred to as the Guardian, is a marine variant that has recently been developed and will be operated jointly with the US Coast Guard out of Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida to monitor the maritime boundaries of the southeast United States.
The Predator B is a version of the unmanned aircraft utilized by the US military in the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
It has a flight time of 30 hours, a top speed of 250 knots, and a ceiling of 50,000 feet, giving it unparalleled capabilities as a surveillance vehicle.
In addition to the usual sensors, the Guardian is equipped with a Raytheon SeaVue Marine Search Radar and an Electro-optical/Infrared Sensor that has been optimized for maritime operations.
The primary mission of the Guardian will be to conduct long-range surveillance of drug source and transit zones.
It will also be available to support offshore search and rescue (SAR) missions and related maritime operations. For fiscal year 2010, Congress appropriated more than $800 million for OAM to fund salaries, operations, maintenance, and procurement.