December 15, 2004
DHS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Assists in Arrests and Drug Seizures
Tucson, AZ - On December 13, 2004, Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Sonoita and Naco Stations were assisted by the DHS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with the arrest of 31 illegal aliens and two marijuana seizures totaling over 800 pounds.
The first incident occurred at approximately 10:00 p.m., when a thermal night vision scope operator reported that he had a visual of nine individuals carrying what he believed to be bundles of marijuana just east of Sonoita. The scope operator reported that he only had intermittent views of the group as they walked north through the mountains. The UAV immediately responded to the area and quickly located the individuals. The UAV monitored the group while agents on the ground responded to the area. As the agents approached the area, the drug smugglers fled inn order to avoid being apprehended. A Border Patrol K-9 unit was called in, and after a search of the area, located seven bundles of marijuana. The marijuana weighed a total of 353 pounds and had a value of $282,400. No apprehensions were made.
The second incident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m., when an agent detected the footprints of a group of suspected illegal aliens walking north through the Huachuca Mountains. The UAV responded and began searching the area ahead. Approximately 2 miles north of the agent's location, the UAV spotted a group of approximately 31 illegal aliens. The agents on the ground were given GPS coordinates and guided to the group by the UAV support team. The agents apprehended a group of 31 illegal aliens without incident. All of the illegal aliens were transported to the Naco Border Patrol Station for processing.
The third incident occurred at approximately 4:00 a.m., when the UAV support team was notified of a sensor activation near Sonoita. The UAV responded to the area and again began searching the area ahead. The UAV spotted a heat source that appeared to be a group of illegal aliens hiding in the brush. As agents made their way toward the location, they found nine bundles of marijuana on the trail they were walking. While the UAV kept an eye on the agents during the marijuana recovery, the drug smugglers ran away from their hiding place and avoided apprehension. The marijuana weighed a total of 529 pounds and had a value of $423,200.
All 882 pounds of marijuana was remanded to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The U.S. Army Hunter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has been patrolling the border in Tucson Sector since October 10, 2004. The Hunter UAV is on contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from the U.S. Department of Defense until at least the middle of January 2005. Since October 10, 2004, the Hunter UAV has been responsible for the arrests of 68 illegal aliens and the seizure of 882 pounds of marijuana.
The Border Patrol is a division of the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, a new agency within the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for managing and securing our nation's borders. No photos are available. For a photo of the Hunter UAV, see www.army-technology.com
~CBP~
