According to Fox News, the Department of Homeland Security is reducing its fleet of surveillance blimps along the overcrowded southern border from 12 to four.
“It’s difficult to believe how badly Biden has botched the border,” Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) said on EWTN News Nightly on Thursday.
“We won’t know how many gotaways there are if he gets rid of these blimps. It will make our border far less secure “The Sunshine State legislator went on.
Due to lack of funding, the Aerostat Program, the unmanned blimps that border patrol uses to protect the nation, is being cut. @SenRickScott says, “It’s hard to believe how badly Biden has botched the border…” The Border Patrol Union agrees. @ErikRosalesNews reports. pic.twitter.com/PRKGGojXxn
— EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) February 10, 2023
Due to lack of funding, the Aerostat Program, the unmanned blimps that border patrol uses to protect the nation, is being cut. @SenRickScott says, “It’s hard to believe how badly Biden has botched the border…” The Border Patrol Union agrees. @ErikRosalesNews reports. pic.twitter.com/PRKGGojXxn
So far in 2023, the United States Customs and Border Protection has reported 770,175 total encounters, which include both apprehensions and expulsions.
“I think we need to use everything we have, whether it’s to deter, apprehend, or detect,” Border Patrol Council vice president Art Del Cueto told News Nation.
“However, we now have an administration that is perfectly comfortable removing one tool and adding another instead of saying, ‘Hey, we can use both tools at the same time and be more effective at defending our borders,’” Cueto added.
According to News Nation, the fleet has been reduced from 17 to six in the last year, a reduction of approximately 64.7%. According to Fox News, the reduction is approximately 66.7%.
Aerostats are remotely piloted, tethered surveillance blimps. They have digital cameras or communication devices with them. According to a DHS description of the crafts’ capabilities, they enable officials to conduct border surveillance, manage crowds, and respond to natural disasters.
Aerostats are referred to as “eyes in the sky” by US Customs and Border Protection.
“Raising radar and other sensors to high altitude increases surveillance range, and the physical sight of an aerostat is a visual deterrent to illegal activity in the air and on the ground,” said Rob Brown, the Tethered Aerostat Radar System’s then-manager, in 2016.
According to Fox News, the $52 million program is being cut due to financial concerns. The four remaining aerostats are all located in the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
“Aerostats have proven to be one of the most effective border-security tools. It enables us to see what is illegally entering the US, guide us to the location, and apprehend both people and contraband, including fentanyl “According to a statement provided to Fox News by the Border Patrol Union.
“The loss of these tools will weaken border security, making Americans less safe. This move defies logic and contradicts Biden’s remarks last night during the State of the Union, demonstrating that he does nothing but peddle rhetoric “The statement went on.
