see also: in January 2008:   Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism: A Year in Review   CBP, National Guard Announce Super Bowl Flight Restrictions   Cooperation Leads to Apprehension of International Fugitive   Border Patrol Seizes $109,944 Stashed in Vehicle   CBP Arrests Fugitive Arriving from Dominican into Puerto Rico   CBP and ICE Donate Thousands of Shoes to Charity ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Jackson, Miss. - The United States Border Patrol, in conjunction with other Federal, State, and Local law enforcement in direct support of the southwest border, conducted Operation Uniforce 8 over the past two weeks in Jackson, Miss. The operation was a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional operation targeting over the road (OTR) smuggling of illegal aliens, to include narcotics originating on the southwest border.

Federal, state, and local agencies coordinated their current OTR interdiction operations to maximize law enforcement coverage on the I-20 Interstate corridor and the transportation nodes within the New Orleans Sector Primary Operational Domain (POD). This coordinated effort maximized the collection and dissemination of intelligence in order to enhance intelligence driven operations overall.

The desired end-state was to achieve a unified operational approach targeting OTR smuggling, to include an intelligence process that established a connect-the-dots methodology by linking apprehensions and seizures back to the points of origin. Agents gathered intelligence on where border incursions are taking place that was immediately sent back to the southwest border sectors and ports of entry for action. Criminal aliens are also a major concern to the Department as they are an immediate threat to our communities. Operation Uniforce 8 established a multi-agency coordination mechanism that will be utilized on an ongoing basis for future pulse operations.

Previous Uniforce Operations have been successful in producing numerous arrests to include wanted fugitives, alien smugglers, and narcotics seizures. In this operation 404 illegal aliens were apprehended, one homicide suspect was captured, one kilogram of cocaine worth almost $80,000 and $7,052 U.S. currency was seized. The Border Patrol, in partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, will continue these operations in the future.

Operation Uniforce was in accordance with the core elements of the National Border Patrol Strategy.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.