ORGANIZATION

AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS

Mission

The mission of the Office of Air and Marine Interdiction is to protect the American people and critical infrastructure by using an integrated and coordinated air and marine force to deter, interdict and prevent acts of terrorism arising from the unlawful movement of people and goods across the borders of the United States. AMO is a key organization for providing air and marine law enforcement assets and expertise to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other Federal agencies in support of DHS strategic goals. Using the core competencies of air and marine interdiction, air and marine law enforcement, and airspace security, AMO provides solutions for some of the most challenging homeland security missions facing DHS.

In addition to conducting interdiction efforts, both domestic and foreign, AMO supports DHS operations for ICE’s Offices of Investigation, Federal Protective Service, and Detention and Removal Operations, as well as for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. AMO also provides critical air and marine support to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, DEA, and ATF. Since 9/11 AMO has also been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to secure U.S. seaports in response to increased threat levels.

AMO has been providing airspace security operations in the Washington, D.C. area since January 2003. AMO has also provided airspace security efforts at a number of other critical events in recent years, including the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2003 and 2004 Super Bowls. During Operation Liberty Shield, AMO conducted airspace security over New York and provided P-3 detection and monitoring flights along the northern border. During the level Orange terror alerts last December and January, AMO participated in airspace security operations to protect several major U.S. cities.

AMO currently has 11 Air and Marine Branches, 2 Surveillance Support Branches, 11 Air Units and 16 Marine Units, located across the southern tier of the United States and Puerto Rico. A branch at Bellingham, Washington began operations in August 2004 and one in Plattsburgh, NY began operations in October 2004.

To report suspicious aircraft or marine activity, please call the following toll-free number, which is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round:1-866-AIR-BUST - (1-866-247-2878)

AMO: An Overview

This past New Year ’s Eve, as thousands of revelers celebrated the descent of the ball in Times Square in New York City, aircraft from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Air and Marine Operations (AMO) flew airspace security missions overhead. Weeks later in January 2004, as the President issued his State of the Union address to the nation’s leaders at the Capitol, AMO Black Hawk helicopters and Citation aircraft helped patrol the skies over Washington, D.C. Later that month in Houston, AMO supported airspace security efforts during Super Bowl XXXVIII. These were three uniquely American events; three tempting targets for terrorists; and three examples of the role AMO plays in protecting America.