US warplane spotted circling drug-smuggling hotspot

"The US Navy's P-8A Poseidon, used for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, was spotted circling over a drug-smuggling hotspot. On Monday, the advanced patrol jet, identified by its Mode-S hex code AE6881, was tracked conducting intricate loops off the Baja California coast, raising speculation about a targeted operation against illicit trafficking routes. The P-8A, likely operated by a squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, took off between 07:15 and 07:30am ET."

"Flight tracking data showed the aircraft flew through Oregon and through California before making several looping patterns near the US-Mexico maritime boundary, a region notorious for drug smuggling from Mexico into California. The P-8A is fitted with advanced sensors, allowing it to detect surface and subsurface targets, making it ideal for monitoring suspicious vessels. The US Navy has not officially commented on the flight's purpose, but the timing aligns with heightened security concerns along the southwestern border."

"The boundary starts near San Diego-Tijuana and stretches westward about 352 miles into the Pacific, separating territorial seas and exclusive economic zones of both countries, as defined by treaties from 1970, 1976, and 1978. The P-8A Poseidon can reach altitudes of up to 41,000 feet and fly at speeds of nearly 565 miles per hour. Equipped with an in-flight refueling system, the aircraft can stay airborne for long stretches, allowing it to patrol vast ocean regi"

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon (Mode-S hex AE6881) was tracked performing intricate loops off the Baja California coast near the US-Mexico maritime boundary. The jet, likely from a squadron at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, departed between 07:15 and 07:30am ET after flying through Oregon and California. The P-8A carries advanced sensors for detecting surface and subsurface targets, enabling monitoring of suspicious vessels along trafficking routes. The patrol coincides with heightened southwestern border security and previous Navy plans to deploy P-8As to support anti-smuggling missions. The boundary starts near San Diego-Tijuana and extends roughly 352 miles westward into the Pacific.

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