U.S. BORDER PATROL DRONE CRASHES OFF SAN DIEGO

U.S. BORDER PATROL DRONE CRASHES OFF POINT LOMA

By Jennifer Casillan
Lindsay Hood
AP
Created: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 06:50:00 PST
Updated: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 08:42:09 PST

Custom and Border Protection officers are cleaning debris Tuesday morning, after one of their drones crashed 20 miles off the coast of Point Loma, according to the Coast Guard.

Customs officers called for assistance from the Coast Guard around 11:20 p.m. Monday night. The Coast Guard and Custom officials are there now picking up the debris and plan to haul the debris to Coast Guard headquarters.

An alert has been sent out to boaters in the area warning about the debris. The driver of drone operates out of Corpus Christi, TX, according to Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard says their main purpose to make sure the debris does not cause any pollution to the area.

Homeland Security Spokesman Mike Friel says the crew operating the drone from Texas decided to crash it in the ocean.

The $12 million surveillance drone was one of 10 that Homeland Security uses to patrol the border with Mexico. It was just one of two Predator B drones equipped with radar specifically designed to be used over the ocean.

Friel said the cause of the mechanical failure is unknown.
In November 2013, a drone crashed into the side of the USS Chancellorsville injuring two sailors off the coast of San Diego. According to the Navy, that drone was operated out of Point Magu in Northern California.

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/u-s-b...-loma-20140128

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