(11/09/2009) The mission of the Office of Air and Marine (OAM), the world's largest aviation and maritime law enforcement organization, is to protect the American people and 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 the borders of the United States.

This specialized law enforcement capability allows OAM to make significant contributions to the homeland security efforts of DHS, as well as to those of Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies. To accomplish this mission, OAM utilizes over 900 Federal Agents, operating from 79 air and marine locations, with more than 290 aircraft of 22 different types, and more than 225 maritime vessels.

Air and Marine mission:

• Provide support to CBP's anti-terrorism mission at U.S. borders including, air-to-ground interception of people and contraband illegally crossing land borders, air-to-air interception of aircraft, and air-to-water interception of transportation vessels.
• Provide support for CBP's traditional work, such as border interceptions unrelated to terrorism and other DHS missions as well.
• Conduct air operations in support of other federal, state and local needs, such as disaster relief.

Enforcement Statistics:
During the 2009 Fiscal Year, OAM personnel and assets were involved in law enforcement operations at home and abroad that resulted in the seizure of more than 167,048 pounds of cocaine and more than 1,298,393 pounds of marijuana.

These operations also assisted in the arrest of 1,613 narcotics smugglers and 59,965 illegal aliens 72,000 arrests. These operations involved CBP aircraft and vessels, which are stationed in strategic locations along the United States border. In addition, OAM interdiction aircraft are frequently assigned on a rotating basis to drug source and transit zone locations, such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Aruba. OAM aircraft also deploy when necessary to sites in Panama, Peru, Belize, El Salvador, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

in Air and Marine: