Border Patrol Drones Spot Migrants Crossing Border into Texas

Border Patrol agents in South Texas increasingly utilize small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to detect migrants crossing the border in remote areas. The sUAS pilots direct ground-based agents to the scene of the illegal border crossing and allow agents to be more efficient in covering these areas that are not secured by physical barriers.

In the Laredo Sector, Chief Patrol Agent Matthew Hudak tweeted photos showing agents tracking a group of migrants with an sUAS. The pilots observed 70 migrants illegally crossing the border where no physical barrier exists onto an expansive ranch in South Texas. Horseback-mounted agents tracked down the migrants and took them into custody.

#USBP Laredo Sector Horse Patrol Unit working alongside Laredo South agents and a Small Unmanned Aircraft System apprehended 70 illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally through rugged ranchland areas surrounding Laredo. #BorderSecurity @CBPSouthTexas pic.twitter.com/9LsStfQDI5

— Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak (@USBPChiefLRT) February 24, 2021

A few days earlier in the neighboring Del Rio Sector, a “team” of sUAS pilots flying drones near Carrizo Springs helped Border Patrol agents apprehend more than 60 migrants during a 48-hour period. Two of the groups contained more than 20 migrants, Chief Patrol Agent Austin Skero tweeted.

Carrizo Springs Station sUAS Pilots are leading the way! The station’s small team of ‘drone’ pilots have assisted in over 60 apprehensions in approximately 48 hours. These arrests were the result of coordination with fellow agents and included two groups of more than 20. pic.twitter.com/1kD3FL5pID

— Chief Patrol Agent Austin Skero (@USBPChiefDRT) February 23, 2021

The operation of sUAS vehicles is not unique to South Texas Border Patrol operations. Earlier this month, sUAS pilots in the Yuma Sector utilized the drone’s technology to locate three migrants hiding in the thick brush along the roadway, Chief Patrol Agent Chris Clem tweeted. The pilot directed the Border Patrol agent directly to the migrants’ hiding spot where he was able to place them in custody.

#YumaSector Border Patrol agents used a drone to locate three subjects who were hiding in brush along the river near County 8th Street after they illegally crossed the border into the United States. pic.twitter.com/bbDVojBWrZ

— Chief Patrol Agent Chris T. Clem (@USBPChiefYUM) February 19, 2021