see also: in February 2002:   U.S. Customs Inspectors Apprehend Fugitives Wanted by FBI on Murder Charges in Oklahoma   Seven Arrested in U.S. Customs Seizure of 4,320 Pounds of Marijuana in Philadelphia   Operation Green Quest Overview   U.S. Customs to Begin Collecting Duties on Imported Costumes on Saturday   U.S. Customs Service Inspectors Seize $100,000 at Sasabe Port of Entry   U.S. Customs Inspectors at World Trade Bridge Seize Nearly Four Tons of Marijuana in Nine Days ...more on cbp.gov:   Customs Agent to Carry Olympic Flame This Week

contacts for this news release

More than 100 U.S. Customs personnel utilizing a dozen aircraft completed one of their most challenging and important missions ever - ensuring airspace security during the Olympic games in Salt Lake City.

From January 24 to February 26, 2002, U.S. Customs provided airspace security during the Winter Olympics, as directed under Presidential Decision Document 62. Although U.S. Customs had provided airspace security for many other National Special Security Events, including the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, the events of September 11 and the ongoing threat of another terrorist attack in the United States made security at the Olympic games an even bigger challenge.

Extensive interagency planning to provide security during the Olympics had begun almost two years earlier. But after the events of September 11, 2001, further review and subsequent enhancement of the airspace security plan to address the increased threat was necessary. One addition was the option of aviation assistance from the Department of Defense, should the threat demand it.

Operating from Hill Air Force Base and Provo, U.S. Customs aircrews provided 24-hour surveillance over the Olympic Villages and all of the competitive venues. This task was made even more difficult by adverse weather, rugged, mountainous terrain, and the expansive area of coverage.

And that was only part of the job. Twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, U.S. Customs Detection Systems Specialists (DSS) and their FAA counterparts monitored radarscopes at the Airspace Security Operations Center at Hill to identify any unauthorized aircraft operating in the Temporary Flight Restricted (TFR) areas.

All unauthorized aircraft operating in the TFR areas were promptly reported to patrolling U.S. Customs Blackhawk helicopters for intercept and further investigation. During peak hours (8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.) each day, approximately 95 aircraft were sorted hourly by U.S. Customs and FAA. A total of 33 targets of interest were investigated during the Olympics, including 20 incursions in the TFR areas. Fortunately, all proved to be non-threatening.