News Release

FAA Authorizes UAV Operations Along Texas-Mexico Border to Start June 1

Texas Senators Urged FAA Administrator to Act after Surge in Border Violence

May 14 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today gave approval to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) along the southwest Texas border beginning June 1, 2010. Last month, U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn signed a letter to Administrator J. Randolph Babbitt of the Federal Aviation Administration encouraging him to give priority consideration to the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) pending Certificate of Authorization for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operations in Texas.

“This is an important step forward, but there is much more work to be done,â€