Drone Pilot Assists in Border Patrol Operation

A drone pilot from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Aircraft Operations Division discovered three individuals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally shortly after they crossed the Rio Grande early Thursday morning. The female migrant, accompanied by her three-year-old child, was identified wearing six colorful wristbands on each arm, a method used by cartels to indicate the payment level and transit point for migrants.

Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for DPS, shared a video on social media featuring drone footage that captured the group of migrants coming together to cross from Mexico into Texas. Officers utilized drones to lead police and Border Patrol agents on the ground to the site of this illegal entry.

Law enforcement was able to locate and detain three of the migrants—a man, a woman, and the child—who were confirmed to be from Mexico. Observers noticed the woman and child wearing bright wristbands, which she explained had been placed there as identifiers by cartel members for smuggling purposes. The colors represented the amount she had paid and the designated crossing point.

“This is a common tactic employed by cartels to mark specific transit routes based on payment and entry points,” Lt. Olivarez elaborated.

Drone operators, along with DPS ground units, are tasked with aiding Border Patrol agents as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative.

The encounters underscore the pivotal role that DPS air and ground teams are playing in border security efforts, especially as smuggling networks led by cartels continue to exploit vulnerable individuals, including young children, along perilous parts of the Rio Grande. As the technological capabilities and partnerships with federal authorities enhance under Operation Lone Star, state officials assert that these drone-assisted operations are crucial for revealing cartel control over illegal crossings and safeguarding at-risk migrants.