Texas Congressmen Call for Increased UAV Coverage of Texas-Mexico Border

Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) and Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi), members of the US 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, the Guardian, is assigned to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station to uniquely 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.

"Texas needs more resources and we need them in close proximity to the border, notjust along the coast. The Guardian is a tremendous asset. But not having additional UAVs based along the border routinely hinders law enforcement operations that rely on this critical surveillance," said Congressman McCaul, Chairman of the Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations and Management Subcommittee.

Rep. McCaul's remarks came during today's visit to assess U.S. Customs and Border Protection's UAV operations in Corpus Christi. The visit was to include a landing of a UAV from an overnight border mission. However, the flight was scrubbed due to high winds at the Naval Air Station, demonstrating the need for additional aircraft in closer proximity to our land border operations. An estimated 20 percent of missions from the Naval Air Station have been canceled due to weather.

"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. Today's UAV landing and 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," said Congressman Cuellar.

"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 2010 Border Supplemental Budget 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 stationboth 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 Feb 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.

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