Texas Border Business
FBI Jacksonville recently joined federal partners in an operation at a major vehicle export hub along the St. Johns River where more than 500,000 vehicles moved through the port in 2025.
The two-day effort at the Blount Island Marine Terminal brought together personnel from the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to target illicit trafficking networks that exploit international vehicle shipments bound for Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
Supervisory CBP Officer Richard DeCapite described the operation as comprehensive and hands-on.
“Basically, we went through every single vehicle that was in the lot looking for contraband,” DeCapite said. “Our main enforcement effort was targeting outbound cargo shipments, specifically vehicles and containers containing vehicles destined for Africa, the Middle East, and South America.”
Authorities say criminal networks increasingly use exported vehicles as concealment methods for illicit goods. Instead of relying solely on traditional smuggling techniques, traffickers hide narcotics, currency, and weapons inside cars or containers declared as legitimate cargo. And at a port that handles hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year, vigilance is constant.
“There have been actors sending currency, narcotics, and weapons overseas by using vehicles and their containers as the vessel, instead of the more traditional way of smuggling outbound,” DeCapite said. “What we tend to see here out of Jacksonville is narcotics come in, and the currency and weapons go out.”
Officials acknowledge it is difficult to quantify the total amount of contraband moving through U.S. ports each year, but seizures nationwide have included illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, bulk cash intended for money laundering, weapons bound for conflict zones and, in some cases, human trafficking victims.
During the Jacksonville operation—called a coordinated outbound enforcement—teams conducted full inspections of more than 250 vehicles. Screening technology, database checks, and physical inspections were used to identify anomalies. The collaborative effort, which also included personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), produced immediate results.
“We actually found three vehicles that were not manifested in the containers, so that was nice,” DeCapite said, referring to automobiles discovered hidden behind declared cargo.
Officials emphasized that the broader impact of the operation extends beyond any single seizure.
FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley said joint enforcement efforts reflect a larger strategy built on long-term partnerships.
“Interagency operations go beyond simple coordination. They are about building lasting partnerships,” Carley said. “When agencies come together with a shared purpose, we are more effective. The trust developed through joint training and working side by side becomes critical in real-world operations.”
Carley noted that combating transnational organized crime requires agencies to operate as a unified front, particularly when criminal enterprises span continents and exploit global commerce.
“Collaboration isn’t just a best practice for us; it’s how we ensure we’re ready to respond as one unified team,” he said. “It also guarantees no single entity stands alone in safeguarding our communities and national security.”
FBI Jacksonville Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Muscatello echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the operational value of integrated intelligence and shared expertise.
“This coordinated search highlights the operational value of bringing multiple agencies together, which is critical to combating transnational organized crime and violent crime,” Muscatello said. “Each partner contributes unique expertise and perspective.”
By combining investigative resources and on-the-ground enforcement capabilities, Muscatello said agencies can create a more comprehensive response to emerging threats.
“By integrating intelligence and operational capabilities on the ground, we are able to strengthen trust and create a comprehensive response to identifying and addressing threats,” he said. “Working alongside one another not only enhances the mission, it reinforces the relationships that make future operations even stronger.”
DeCapite agreed. “Really, the biggest purpose of doing operations like this is to build the collaboration between all the different agencies that we have here,” he said. “So, we put faces to names, and then we know who to reach out to if we ever need assistance with anything.”
For the FBI, operations like this not only help disrupt the illicit flow of goods but also reinforce the Bureau’s commitment to protecting U.S. interests and global security through collaborations with partners. Officials agree, stressing that operations like this that help disrupt those illicit flows, reinforcing the FBI’s commitment to protecting U.S. interests and global security through collaborations with partners.
