MCALLEN: Federal authorities said they’ll be turning to the skies to add extra security to the Rio Grande Valley border.
McAllen is the focus across the nation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is working to bring more pilots to the city.
The federal government saw the Valley as a hotspot for drugs, weapons and people crossing over.
The pilots patrol the area from Falcon Lake to Brownsville to stop drugs and weapons from crossing over. They also use the chopper to rescue people who cross into the country illegally.
Smugglers are watching the choppers closely.
“They do like to cross in darkness,” said a CBP pilot. “Just because we’re not seeing it right now, we’re not being watched, it doesn’t mean that they’re not preparing to cross something after we made it past.”
William Durham, director of air operations for the air and marine branch of CBP, said the hot area used to be in Tucson, Arizona. It has now shifted to the Valley.
Durham said the federal government will bring in more pilots.
“With the increase of those activities, is the increase of demand of air support,” he said. It’s contraband… whether it be people, drugs or weapons.”
Durham said the federal government follows where the traffic flows. This may change in a few years.
“Where that place may be, we don’t really know,” Durham said. “Our focus now is to concentrate on where it is today.”
Durham said the government will keep following border activity wherever is goes.
The CBP plans to hire about 30 pilots. A few years ago, they only had six working the border.
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