Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin visited Cecil Airport in Jacksonville on Monday to see a demonstration of the U.S. Coast Guard’s HITRON squadron at work.
HITRON, which stands for Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, is the only squadron in the Coast Guard deploying airborne use of force for counter-narcotics operations. Essentially, its crews shoot out engines of boats they believe are carrying drugs.
“We’re giving the secretary a demonstration of how we shoot from the helicopter, and how we do tactics in terms of chasing a drug boat and stopping them in the water to prepare them for a boarding,” said Capt. Kent Reinhold…