South Texas gets second drone for patrolling
South Texas’ second unmanned aerial vehicle was expected to arrive at its base station in Corpus Christi Wednesday night and will begin operations in a couple of days.
Texas Congressional members Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, and Mike McCaul, R-Houston, announced the arrival of the second UAV earlier this week.
The announcement came roughly around the same time when Indiana authorities announced the seizure of $2.6 million in cash and more than five tons of marijuana stash inside an Indianapolis warehouse. Indiana authorities believe this operation was run by a Mexican drug cartel. The majority of marijuana smuggled into the United States comes from Mexico.
The unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV will help patrol the Texas-Mexico border and will help U.S. Customs and Border Protection in its mission to guard the nation’s border, officials said.
The Predator UAV is equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor system that is suitable for flights in darkness and bad weather.
Cuellar has pushed for more drones for the Texas-Mexico border and earlier said the bipartisan effort between Democrats and Republicans was the key factor for South Texas receiving second UAV.
“This will bring a better coordinated effort to provide realtime information and intelligence to our federal law enforcement agencies,” Cuellar said in a press release.
Texas Congressional members received word in July that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had chosen South Texas to receive a second drone.
The Texas-Mexico border has experienced an increase in the number of people trying to smuggle weapons and drugs into the United States over the past few years.
Law enforcement agents encounter such operations almost daily, according to media reports and press statements from law enforcement agencies.
Earlier this week, U.S. Border Patrol agents announced the seizure of nearly eight tons of marijuana in just five days. More than 2,400 pounds of marijuana was found stashed in an underground manmade bunker in Roma.
“The technology piece is the missing piece right now, and that’s what’s needed to fill the gap," said McCaul, who chairs the Homeland Security Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, in a prepared statement. “Everyone talks about we need to secure the border. Well how do you do that? You fill in the missing piece and that’s the technology piece."
Farenthold also issued a statement, saying: “I am thrilled that additional resources have been made available to secure our southern borders. UAVs are a powerful force multiplier that will help protect America. We must continue to stop the illegal flow of guns, money and people across our borders."
South Texas received its first drone in September of last year.
Lmartinez@brownsvilleherald.com
