Border Patrol unleashes drones in Arizona desert

By Amanda Lee Myers
The Associated Press

JOHN MILLER / AP An unmanned aerial vehicle, seen yesterday at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., is aimed at curbing illegal immigration in the Southwest.

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FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — The Border Patrol yesterday launched an unmanned drone that uses thermal and night-vision equipment to help agents spot illegal immigrants trying to cross the desert into the United States.

The stepped-up surveillance is part of a mission that officials hope will stem the tide of illegal immigrants that has made Arizona the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico. There have been more than 330,000 apprehensions since Oct. 1 in the Border Patrol's Tucson sector, which covers most of the Arizona border.

The Department of Homeland Security also plans to test drones in Northern states, over the Great Lakes and in Puerto Rico, said Robert Smith, head of the Customs and Border Protection's unmanned aerial-drone program.

The two drones being used in the Arizona project can detect movement from 15 miles up, read a license plate, view a vehicle's occupants and detect weapons, officials said.

Roger Maier, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, confirmed that one of the remotely piloted Hermes 450 drones started flying yesterday. Both drones were expected to go into regular use Monday.

The drones weigh almost 1,000 pounds, have a 35-foot wingspan and can fly faster than 100 mph. They will patrol at 12,000 to 15,000 feet. They can stay aloft for 20 hours at a time.

Drones also help gather data for environmental studies and patrol Western skies on wildfire watch. In Alaska, the Coast Guard is testing a drone this summer for fisheries patrols and other uses. Drones also have been successful in U.S. military and CIA operations in Afghanistan and Yemen.

In Arizona, pilots on the ground will control them remotely unless the flight is preprogrammed, with another agent interpreting images and using global positioning to send agents to respond to what the drones detect.

The mission ends Sept. 30, when the drones will be assessed to determine their future.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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