US warplane spotted circling drug-smuggling hotspot in mysterious pattern

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.

Mexican drug trafficking organizations, particularly powerful groups like the Sinaloa Cartel, exploit the vast maritime boundary for smuggling illicit drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana into the US.

Monday’s operation follows earlier Navy announcements that P-8A aircraft would patrol near the southern coastline to support anti-smuggling missions.

Flight tracking data spotted the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon making a trip from Washington to the US-Mexico boundary, which is known as a drug-smuggling hotspot

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