EXCLUSIVE: How unfenced areas of the southern border are patrolled

The border wall has been a contentious debate. The President and a lot of supporters believe it would decrease crime and drug use in the United States – others say it would be billions of dollars wasted.

So in a News 11 Exclusive, we take you on a tour of the southern border. Between the El Centro and Yuma Sector Border Patrol, agents are responsible for 196 miles of the southern border, 27 of which have no physical barrier. It’s just desert, as far as the eye can see – no telling where the United States ends and Mexico begins. It’s a desolate, but well traveled route for coyotes, mules and those in search of a better life.

“People are going to great lengths and going to the top of these mountain ranges. Often times they take the harder route, because it tends to be the one less patrolled. They’ll take mountains instead of the valley, but we do have agents on patrol hiking those mountains as well. So with the use of technology and agents, we’re able to intercept those who come into the U.S. Illegally,” Border Patrol Agent Carlos Pitones said.

Border Patrol Agents from the El Centro Sector took us on a bumpy ride-along to what felt like the end of the Earth to see for ourselves, what’s in place – in our own backyard. Agent Pitones, a former Marine, with now 13 years on the force has a well trained eye. “Something as simple as footprints in the sand can catch my attention.” Every footprint in the sand, burned out and abandoned vehicle has an untold story.

“We don’t check our humanity at the door when we put on this uniform. We treat everyone with respect and dignity. Many times I’ve given my lunch to a kid who’s crossed or a given a water bottle to someone who’s crossed. I take a lot of pride with my job, but at the end of the day, we’re human,” Agent Pitones said.

El Centro Border Patrol Agents are responsible for patrolling 70 miles of border – out of those 70, 9 miles have no physical barrier.

“It can turn into days if their guide, or coyote is taking them through different routes to evade border patrol.” But these days, Agents are coming in contact with more asylum seekers, than smugglers so the urban areas where there is already a fence in place are actually more popular for illegal immigrants to try to cross, than an area with no physical barrier.

Agent Pitones said, “it’s within seconds they can be inside of a house, down an alley, down the street, – within seconds.”

It is more common to climb over the fence, fly over it, cut through it or dig under it than to walk through the desert and over a mountain range.

“More apprehensions happen in the city because they’re able to blend in with the general public. Out here, they’re taking a commitment to be out here for days. Hiking in the summer could turn into a rescue mission.” If there’s a will, there’s a way. Regardless wall or no wall – Agent Pitones says they’re patrolled the same way. Cameras, sensors and good ole fashion boots on the ground.

As for the Yuma Sector Border Patrol, Agents there patrol 126 miles of the southern border – 18 of which have no physical barrier. They too are deep in the Sonoran Desert or separated by waterways.

“Walls, barriers – they do work. Whether it’s funneling traffic to another area where agents are able to respond in a timely manner, or funneling them to an area where it’s safer to interact with these people,” Agent Pitones added.

Various forms of a physical barrier have been in place for years, but not until recently have they generated so much interest. The El Centro Sector has an 18 foot high fence, normandy style barriers to keep vehicles out, cement blocks and a brand new 2 and half mile stretch that bears the President’s name. The 30 foot tall steel wall is surrounded by wire and goes six feet deep into the ground. As new infrastructure has gone up, the number of apprehensions has gone down. Agent Pitones said, “the wall is one component, technology is another component, agents working the ground is another component. Put all of those together and border security is at its highest.”

No doubt, the nearly 20,000 agents across the U.S. are up against a lot as they protect America’s front line and the country remains fiercely divided on how to patrol the barrier in our own backyard.