A Predator Snags A Predator
Officials with the US
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tell ANN earlier this week, one
of the agency's unmanned aircraft detected and assisted Border
Patrol agents in the apprehension of a wanted fugitive in the
vicinity of Anderson Mine, along the Arizona border with
Mexico.
Around 0000 PDT Tuesday, the CBP Air and Marine UAS detected and
tracked six suspected aliens during surveillance operations along
the Arizona border with Mexico. CBP Border Patrol agents and Air
Interdiction Agents responded to the scene arresting all six
aliens, one of which is wanted for child rape in King County,
WA.
"There is no greater illustration of Customs and Border
Protection's critical mission of protecting our borders than the
apprehension of a suspected child rapist," said W. Ralph Basham,
Commissioner, US Customs and Border Protection. "The unmanned
aircraft is an important tool among many that CBP applies to our
border security efforts. We will use every available asset and
commit every available resource to ensure criminals and terrorists
have no chance of illegal entry."
CBP turned over the suspect to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's
Office for extradition to the State of Washington and removed the
five other aliens apprehended at the scene. The UAS detection and
Border Patrol response also resulted in the seizure of 395 pounds
of marijuana.
CBP UASs have flown nearly 2,000 hours, directly contributing to
more than 3,900 arrests and the seizure of approximately 13,660
pounds of marijuana. CBP UASs support CBP's primary mission of
securing the border and preventing acts of terrorism by providing a
long duration Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
capability to augment crewed law enforcement aircraft and
watercraft and Border Patrol agents.
The Predator B that assisted officers Tuesday, CBP 104, is the
agency's newest Unmanned Aircraft System. It entered service with
the CBP October 30, 2006, and operates out of the CBP Air and
Marine UAS Operation Center in Sierra Vista, AZ, as a component of
the CBP Air and Marine Tucson Air Branch.
The UAS serves as a force multiplier to air and marine
interdiction agents and Border Patrol agents operating in their
respective environments.
The Predator B may fly for thirty hours at a time covering up to
2,800 nautical miles at altitudes over 50,000 feet. CBP is working
with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to gain access to
the National Airspace System (NAS), which has been held up over
concerns of the threat the unmanned planes may pose to manned
aircraft.