Aerial transport aids border security effort

Tucson Sector Border Patrol personnel recently touted the benefits of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters toward the effort to bolster border security.

Officials said the detail was deployed last month to assist in Operation Guardian Support, aiding transport capabilities in remote areas of southern Arizona.

The Blackhawk crew inserted Border Patrol agents and a canine into a remote area southwest of Tucson where agents were able to quickly deploy to apprehend two Guatemalan nationals attempting to evade arrest.

Officials said the men, previously removed from the country but now facing criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry, were dressed in camouflage and carpet booties, clothing often used by illegal aliens in an attempt to avoid detection.

Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector are responsible for 262 linear miles of the Arizona border with Mexico. The vast desert environments and rugged mountainous terrain create a challenge for agents on foot, but officials acknowledge aerial transport capabilities serve as additional resources vital to border security.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has worked with the Department of Defense for decades as a means of addressing border security, officials said, noting the National Guard supports CBP with aerial detection, repairing border infrastructure, and logistical support, which allows CBP resources to focus on enforcing immigration laws.