Smugglers Put on Notice with the Deployment of New Asset in the RGV (Rio Grande Valley Sector, Texas)

US Customs and Border Protection ^ | August 26, 2020 | US Customs and Border Protection

[BeauBo]

Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents are utilizing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to assist with border apprehensions...

Over the weekend, agents arrested 67 illegal aliens in six separate sUAS deployments...

Since the program’s inception, sUAS teams have been credited with assisting agents in more than 1500 apprehensions in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. The sUAS ability to be deployed quickly and quietly gives agents the upper hand in combating human and drug smuggling attempts.

The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382

[BeauBo]

As Fox News reported last year: "In rural areas of the border, there is no fence and no cameras, only underground seismic sensors that detect when something or someone crosses the border. But trying to “check out” every sensor hit over bad roads can take an agent off station for hours. By the time they arrive, the illegal immigrant can be miles away. A drone closes the gap, confirming the sensor hit as a person or animal, how many illegal immigrants are in a group and if any are armed."

The situation is transforming along the border, as powerful barrier is being erected, high speed all weather roads are being built, cameras are being installed,and a variety of new alarms and sensors are being deployed - and feeding into an integrated artificial intelligence system that monitors and manages the border area.

Detection approaches 100% with these new systems, and infiltrators are delayed, while response times are shortened. A whole suite of aerial systems (e.g. this sUAS) is making tracking in rural areas a near 100% situation as well.

The whole "Border Calculus" equation of detection, response time and "disappearing" (get away) time; is being flipped completely. From a hopelessly wide open area where Border Patrol could only hope to capture a fraction, into an intensively monitored zone, where full operational control is achievable.

[Spacetrucker]

These will do for now; get the rest of the damned wall built!

[BeauBo]

“get the rest of the damned wall built!”

We just cracked past 300 miles, and have been running about 10 miles per week (total across 49 projects).

We are well on track for the President’s goal of 450 miles by the end of this year.

The first 20% of the miles on the priority list, account for over 80% of historic illegal traffic (border cities and the RGV).

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector, and the neighboring Laredo Sector, have lagged behind their place on the priority list, because of land acquisition and flood control delays (impacted by a ratified International Treaty). But they are now moving out with construction.

The main border cities elsewhere (San Diego, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso) are already getting super Wall System. They will be basically walled off around the end of this year. San Diego is basically done already, and they are heading over the inland mountains past Otay Mesa. South Texas (RGV and Laredo) are going to need another year of hard running by the construction crews.

By the end of next year (2021) we will be nearing full operational control of the border - as long as President Trump is re-elected.

[noiseman]

Hmm...kinda weak. If they upgrade with Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles, I’d be first in line to apply for a job as a drone pilot. Would make a great retirement hobby.

[Spacetrucker]

Good. There was a story recently that the first EVER wall across the Tijuana river was being built. How in the hell is that possible? One of our major POE’s had a WIDE OPEN area?

[BeauBo]

"Good. There was a story recently that the first EVER wall across the Tijuana river was being built."

There is a big problem with debris damming rivers, if you put a fence in them. The Tijuana River, which only runs seasonally, is notoriously polluted and full of trash.

They have already run mighty new bollards along the sides of the river. Even if illegals did a "caravan" style mob rush up the riverbed, they would still have to get over the new bollards (which the caravans before were unable to do) - but they would be on US territory.

They are just getting to this last remaining open spot, because they have new design concepts for blocking rivers (combination of a bollard barrier with opening floodgates, and a tall parallel bridge overwatching it).

Old, single layer barrier in San Diego (before Trump):

New San Diego Trump-style Super Wall System (two bollard barriers, with an Enforcement Zone between them:

[redinIllinois]

Great news

Thanks for posting

[PIF]

No need for expensive Reapers - ISIS and others in the ME are pioneering suicide droned to kill specific individuals - as soon ad the tech is perfected, it would be great for use in isolated areas. And if AI drone swarms become operational, flocks of suicide drones could cover the entire border - by then there would be no need for retirement hobby operators - so there’s that.

[bgill]

I don’t care about how many they apprehend. I do care strongly about how many they do not let out to roam our streets free as birds.

[BeauBo]

Customs and Border protection have all kinds of aerial assets, and gets (lots of) additional predator drone flights from the Military.