Thread: Military helicopters will be used for border surveillance in Valley TX.

Military helicopters will be used for border surveillance in Valley

by Sergio Chapa
Posted: 48 mins ago

U.S. Army National Guard helicopters stationed at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen will be used for surveillance mission along the border.

Action 4 News broke the news that helicopters are being housed at Harlingen's Gulf Aviation on Monday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman Bill Brooks spoke to Action 4 News about the helicopters in a telephone interview from Washington DC.

Brooks said the helicopters are in the Rio Grande Valley as part of a surveillance mission.

Just a few months back, President Barack Obama said he would be changing his border security strategy along the U.S./Mexico border.

President Obama is shifting away from a "boots on the ground" approach to an "eyes in the sky" approach.

Brooks said some 500 National Guardsmen will be assisting CBP in keeping an eye on the entire southwest border using helicopters.

"They've got a job to do," Brooks said. "We'll see how they do."

The surveillance helicopers stationed in Harlingen do not have exterior gun turrets or rocket launchers.

A breakdown of how many helicopters and guardsman assigned to each area of the border was not immediately available.

But sources told Action 4 News that next nearest border city to get the National Guard helicoptes is Laredo.

Several Mexican military helicopters have been documented in the Rio Grande Valley.

Brooks said the National Guardsmen and CBP are in regular contact with their Mexican counterparts.

Military helicopters will be used for border surveillance in Valley : News : ValleyCentral.com

National Guard Sends 4 Helicopters to Valley

Posted: Feb 28, 2012 4:30 PM
Updated: Feb 28, 2012 4:46 PM

National Guard troops might be leaving the border, but they're sending some of their equipment to help secure it.

The National Guard recently sent four helicopters to the Valley. They're being stored at the Gulf Aviation hangar in Harlingen.

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protections says this is part of the plan to change the National Guard's role on the border. Air assets could include both helicopters and drones. Col. Bill Meehan, a spokesperson with the Texas National Guard, says CBP will be using the air support.

"What we do and where we are stationed and how the Guard works is under the direct authority of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol," says Meehan.

CBP would not say how many helicopters will be used in the Valley.

National Guard Sends 4 Helicopters to Valley | KRGV.com | CHANNEL 5 NEWS | Breaking News Breaking Stories

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