With highs in the triple digits, agents with the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector can get 30 to 40 emergency calls a day. Their tools for reaching people in distress in the Sonoran Desert include helicopters and GPS technology. Arizona 360 saw how pilots coordinate with agents on the ground during a helicopter ride with Marine and Air Operations in Pima County’s west desert region. Rivera also joined an agent at the border wall outside of the community of Sasabe where she encountered multiple migrants who discussed the money demanded by smugglers to cross.
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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