SerpApi.Org
The U.S. Air Force used its largest cargo aircraft to transport 50 metric tons of seized illegal drugs from California to the Midwest for final destruction, defense officials said Tuesday.
The multi-day mission, designated “Operation Burnout,” took place between May 18 and May 20, according to an Air Force news release.
A C-5M Super Galaxy airlifted the massive stockpile of narcotics — which included cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl — from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. From there, the contraband was moved to a specialized facility in Indiana to be destroyed.
Recent environmental closures of major hazardous material destruction sites have left federal law enforcement agencies with a backlog of confiscated contraband.
“We have to store this stuff once we seize it in an approved warehouse, but more stuff is always coming in,” Gerald Mapp, a senior advisor to the Drug Enforcement Administration for the U.S. Department of Defense, said in the news release. “You have to look at fentanyl as a major problem — one pill can kill you. Taking these drugs off the street protects the American public, and we couldn’t do this without the Air Force’s heavy airlift capabilities.”
Using the massive military transport jet allowed authorities to bypass the security and logistics risks associated with moving tons of high-value narcotics across the American highway system.
“If we had not partnered with the Air Force, we would have had to drive it across several states, which would have taken tons of manpower and days to do,” Rashida Weathers-Hurst, a section chief for the DEA’s office of forensic sciences, said. “Drug evidence is currency on the street, so it is definitely a high-security mission. The precision of military logistics and their ability to execute a mission safely makes this teamwork top tier.”
According to Air Force specifications, the C-5M Super Galaxy is typically reserved for heavy cargo and troop transport for the Department of Defense. Equipped with four engines, 28 wheels and five sets of landing gear, the aircraft has a total cargo capacity of 281,001 pounds.
The military intervention comes amid an aggressive, multi-year crackdown on illegal substances by California state authorities, SFGate reported. According to data released by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office in March, California Highway Patrol officers have seized 2,549 pounds of illegal drugs over the last two years, including more than 50,110 grams of fentanyl.
Military operations involve much more than standard combat duties, according to Maj. Ryan Becker, a 733rd Training Squadron student flight commander who piloted the aircraft for the mission.
“Our assets aren’t just used for war,” Becker said. “We do humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and we carry out missions that support our partners in law enforcement. The DEA, Coast Guard, and local law enforcement do all the hard work to get this stuff off the street. We’re just the last step in helping them finish that mission.”
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.
