Hourly Update

Border bureau taking over Homeland Security air operations

The Department of Homeland Security is consolidating its air operations under the bureau of Customs and Border Protection, officials said Tuesday. The move is part of the ongoing effort to integrate U.S. Border enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security's 2005 budget appropriations signed by President Bush last month, according to a news release issued by Asa Hutchinson, the undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security. The Department of Homeland Security budget also includes $10 million in start-up funds for the Border Patrol's unmanned aerial vehicle program. While the money for the acquisition of the pilotless surveillance planes has been authorized, the Border Patrol has not yet settled on which UAV system it will use. The Border Patrol's Tucson Sector tested the Israeli-built Hermes UAV during the Department of Homeland Security's Arizona Border Control Initiative this summer. The drone was credited with apprehending groups smuggling both people and drugs. While the initial results are encouraging, the feasibility test is still ongoing, so any discussion on what was learned from the tests or how UAVs will be used in border protection operations is premature. The transfer of the Office of Air and Marine Operations from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement was officially made at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Full completion of the transfer, including the integration of all personnel into Customs and Border Protection is expected by the end of the fiscal year, October 2005. "The Department of Homeland Security was created to streamline and focus our efforts to secure the United States," said Hutchinson said in a written statement. "This merger is another large step in that direction. Our goal is to achieve greater operational and cost efficiencies as we strive to make America even more safe." Office of Air and Marine Operations under Immigration and Customs Enforcement employs more than 1,000 people. The air fleet includes 42 helicopters and 92 fixed-wing aircraft. The marine fleet includes 73 high performance vessels. Contact Ignacio Ibarra at 806-7746 or at iibarra@azstarnet.com