(Untitled)

Steven Becker -
Courtesy of Customs and Border Patrol

The small marina at Biscayne National Park is home to several FWC boats as well as the local ICE crew’s Interceptor. Kurt Hunter, the main character in my Backwater series is a special agent at the Park which lies just south of Miami. Stuck in the Park Service’s much smaller single-engine center console he gets a bit of boat envy whenever he passes by the ICE Interceptor

The 39’ Midnight Express Interceptor at the Park from my visit a few years ago

The outdated 39-foot "Midnight Express" Interceptor is being replaced by a 43-foot model. With a top speed of 75 mph, the Interceptor has a range of 400 nautical miles and is powered by four Mercury Verado outboards totaling 1,400 horsepower (500 more than the older model).

The boat is equipped with:

  • Shock absorbing seats
  • Infrared cameras
  • Provisions for mounting M-48 machine guns on the gunwales

The expected cost is $550,000 and is featured in Backwater Squall.

Kurt’s Park Service boat