FBI disrupts vehicle smuggling at Jacksonville port

Multi-agency operation at Florida's Blount Island Marine Terminal inspected 250+ vehicles bound for Africa and Middle East, uncovering concealed contraband and unmanifested cargo.

The FBI Jacksonville field office participated in a two-day coordinated enforcement operation at the Blount Island Marine Terminal in January 2025, joining U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, Coast Guard, NCIS, and DEA. The operation targeted illicit trafficking networks exploiting vehicle exports bound for Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Criminal networks increasingly use exported vehicles as concealment methods for narcotics, bulk currency, and weapons rather than traditional smuggling techniques.

Authorities conducted full inspections of more than 250 vehicles at a port that processed over 500,000 vehicles in 2025. The operation discovered three unmanifested vehicles hidden behind declared cargo in containers. According to CBP officials, the typical pattern at Jacksonville involves narcotics flowing inbound while currency and weapons move outbound concealed in vehicle shipments.

Federal officials emphasized the operation's strategic value in building interagency partnerships and intelligence sharing capabilities. The collaborative enforcement approach reflects a broader strategy to combat transnational organized crime that exploits global commerce and spans multiple continents, with agencies developing trust and operational relationships through joint training and coordinated field operations.

Source reporting: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-joins-federal-partners-in-vehicle-inspection-operation-at-busy-florida-port