Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jun 2001
Source: Sierra Vista Herald (AZ)
Copyright: 2001 Sierra Vista Herald
Contact:  http://www.svherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1379
Author: Bill Hess

ARMY IS BACK IN THE SKY LOOKING FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS

COCHISE COUNTY - The sounds of Army helicopters are being heard over 
Cochise County as the military's Joint Task Force Six and the U.S. Border 
Patrol again join to try and stop drug smugglers coming into the country 
from Mexico.

Armando Carrasco, a spokesman for JTF-6, said that although much of the 
information about the missions is not being released for "operational 
security and force protection reasons," the flights are being flown by 
active-duty soldiers.

The helicopters flying out of Fort Huachuca's Libby Army Airfield include 
OH-58 Kiowa Warriors and UH-60 Blackhawks, which are equipped with 
electronic reconnaissance equipment allowing soldiers to identify and 
report suspected drug-smuggling activities along the border, said Rob 
Daniels, the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector spokesman.

Carrasco, who works at the JTF-6 headquarters at Fort Bliss, Texas, 
emphasized that the missions are to look for drug-smuggling operations and 
not to try and spot groups of illegal immigrants crossing the border.

Daniels said JTF-6 is the Department of Defense's counterdrug organization 
that provides support to civilian law enforcement agencies. He said the 
current helicopter missions have been operating from the post since the 
beginning of June.

Daniels said there have been some calls about the low-level flights, but 
Army pilots are ordered not to hover over residences.

Day and night helicopter flights will be used to provide reconnaissance to 
support the Tucson Sector's counterdrug activities, he said.

Carrasco and Daniels said soldiers are forbidden by federal law to search, 
seize, detain or make arrests.

The helicopter crews will be providing information to Border Patrol agents 
who will determine if any other action is needed, such as a ground 
interdiction by the federal civilian law enforcement agency, the two 
spokesmen said. Use of military helicopters in Cochise County is not new 
for the Border Patrol.

Daniels said that while drug seizures at the two Border Patrol stations in 
Cochise County are down, some of the credit goes to the JTF-6 helicopter 
missions. Marijuana seizures are down 31 percent at the Naco Station and 39 
percent at the Douglas Station.

By having military helicopter crews, the Border Patrol receives the benefit 
of high-tech systems the military has, and the soldiers gain additional 
training, Daniels said. Neither he nor Carrasco would say how much longer 
the flights will take place.

In the past, Army helicopters have flown out of Fort Huachuca and other 
airfields to support the Border Patrol's missions. In 1995, a Kiowa, 
supporting the Border Patrol, crashed on the eastern base of the Mule 
Mountains about a half mile off High Lonesome Road between Bisbee and 
Double Adobe, killing both pilots who were from Fort Hood, Texas.
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