CONGRESSMEN CUELLAR, MCCAUL, AND FARENTHOLD CALL FOR INCREASED UAV COVERAGE OF TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER
Written by admin, Apr 27, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Jose Borjon,(Corpus Christi, Texas) – Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi), members of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, called on the Obama administration to increase the number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) stationed in Texas to patrol the state’s border with Mexico.
Presently, of the four UAVs located on the southern border, three are stationed in Arizona while one, which is classified as a maritime unit, is based in Texas. The Texas UAV is assigned to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station to perform surveillance of both the border region and Gulf of Mexico. Texas, however, shares 1,254 miles of border with Mexico compared with Arizona’s 370-mile boundary.
“UAVs provide critical intelligence that allows law enforcement to detect and dismantle unlawful activity along the Southwest border, from the smuggling of drugs and humans to arms trafficking,” said Congressman Cuellar. “Today’s UAV briefing in Corpus Christi affirmed that additional operations for non-maritime UAVs in Texas will only increase the capability of law enforcement to interdict crime, prosecute wrongdoers, and keep our communities safe.”
“Texas needs more resources and we need them in close proximity to the border, not just along the coast. Not having a UAV based along the border has already hindered law enforcement operations that rely on this critical surveillance,” said Congressman McCaul, Chairman of the Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations and Management Subcommittee, during today’s visit to assess U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s UAV operations in Corpus Christi.
“UAVs provide a vital force multiplier effect in securing our borders as Mexican drug cartels grow bolder by the day in their operations on both sides of the border. Federal, state, and local law enforcement need the cost effective and timely intelligence that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles can provide,” said Congressman Farenthold.
Two UAV systems are on order as part of the H.R. 6080, the 2010 Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Bill, to be delivered by the end of 2011. While the Department of Homeland Security has not determined where these systems will be assigned, Congressmen McCaul, Cuellar and Farenthold, in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, urge DHS to station both in Texas along its border with Mexico.
In addition to the vehicles, Congressmen McCaul, Cuellar and Farenthold urge DHS to increase the number of flight crews, training and ground operations needed to support the mounting requests for aerial surveillance missions. Both McCaul and Cuellar have lead bipartisan efforts in Congress to increase the use of technology to secure the US-Mexico border.
The UAV stationed at Corpus Christi, a Guardian Maritime Variant delivered February 2010, carries unique technology used for maritime haze filtration. In addition it carries the same surveillance technology as used over land in a Predator-B.
