EXCLUSIVE: Inside look at border patrol control center
News 11’s Cody Lee is the only local reporter granted access
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - We’re getting exclusive access inside the main operating hub that gives Yuma Sector Border Patrol an overhead look at almost every mile of the border. The communications room, at the sector headquarters, acts as a line of defense before apprehensions and after agents on the ground arrive. Workers inside the room control every move.
The room is so top secret that border patrol asked us to blur out portions of the video that would reveal their tactics but being inside really gave us a good idea of what they deal with every day.
Its Yuma sector's eyes from high above. It's a combination of cameras, sensors, and other tracking technology. “They're all linked to one room in which we have several operators that are watching those 24/7,” said Agent Vincent Dulesky.
It's part of a three-pronged process of infrastructure, technology, and manpower.
“The technology part of it really helps us when we have those large amounts of groups coming in. And then we have the smaller groups that are trying to evade us. Well, we can get a much better handle on those when we have these cameras looking in places when we have agents, focused on trying to take care of those larger groups.”
On any given shift, there is five to ten personnel inside the communications room guiding agents to activity on the ground.
Agent Dulesky explains what they’re looking out for. “Those cameras are designed to focus on motion and anything that's out of the ordinary.”
Operators are assigned to specific sections making it easier to keep tabs on everything happening along the border.
“We’ve got many miles where we can see, with just the camera alone, and it helps us in areas like the river corridor here, where we have a lot of activity where we need that extra set eyes on the area.”
When the sun goes down, operators can track individuals using heat sensors.
“That allows us to get heat signatures at night. Even extreme temperatures like these, these were able to see the differences in the landscape between a warm person or warm being out there and the environment,” Agent Dulesky explained.
Agent Dulesky says the operators' goal is to essentially make sure agents on the ground are fully protected by monitoring everything they can’t see with their own eyes.
