FBI, U.S. Customs Personnel Conduct Searches Of 250 Vehicles Bound For Lagos, Nigeria

Contrabands : FBI Jacksonville, U.S. Customs personnel conduct searches of 250 vehicles outbound for Lagos, Nigeria.

Collaborative effort targeted illicit trafficking networks that hides narcotics, currency and weapons inside cars or containers.

During the operation in January, the teams used screening tech, database checks, and physical inspections to identify anomalies.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials found three vehicles hidden behind declared cargo.

FBI Jacksonville recently joined federal partners in an operation at Blount Island Marine Terminal in Florida, a major vehicle export hub where more than 500,000 vehicles moved through in 2025.

The two-day effort at the port brought together personnel from the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Their collaborative effort targeted illicit trafficking networks that hides narcotics, currency and weapons inside cars or containers (declared as legitimate cargo) that are bound for Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

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“Basically, we went through every single vehicle that was in the lot looking for contraband,” Supervisory CBP Officer Richard DeCapite said while describing the operation as comprehensive and hands-on.

“Our main enforcement effort was targeting outbound cargo shipments, specifically vehicles and containers containing vehicles destined for Africa, the Middle East, and South America.”

During the Jacksonville operation in January, the teams conducted full inspections of more than 250 vehicles outbound for Lagos, Nigeria – using screening technology, database checks, and physical inspections to identify anomalies.

“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.

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