Border Patrol to Build Up Nogales Operation

The Border Patrol is preparing a large increase in officers and equipment in an effort to tighten control of the U.S.-Mexico border at Nogales.

Border Patrol spokesman Bill Strassberger said Friday that 85 to 100 agents will be added by the end of the month to the about 300 already at Nogales.

Four helicopters, two small aircraft, low-light television cameras and better lighting will be added under a plan called Operation Safeguard 99, Strassberger said.

The Border Patrol currently has one helicopter assigned to Nogales.

The buildup comes on top of the addition of at least two dozen sets of portable lights in recent months. They illuminate the border fence across urbanized Nogales.

“Right now the Arizona section of the border is the hot spot,” said Strassberger, spokesman for the agency’s western region. “It’s where the greatest number of crossings are taking place, and quite a bit of drug smuggling.”

Mayor Cesar Rios said he welcomed the plan.

“Anything they can do is good,” Rios said. “I think it’s beneficial because it will curb illegal immigration. With illegal immigration comes drug traffic.”

The effort to crack down at the border began in September and has been evolving since then. Nogales historically has been the area through which most illegal smuggling of drugs and people occurs in Arizona, though Douglas held that distinction for a while.

Ted Swofford, who heads Border Patrol office in Nogales, said the additional helicopters may enable the patrol to have one in the air throughout the day.

Swofford said the new strategy is deterrence--agents’ high visibility is intended to keep would-be illegal entrants and smugglers from even trying to cross the border.

And if they do cross, agents will try to arrest them as soon as possible, he added.

Arrests along Arizona’s border reached a record of 387,406 during the last fiscal year, leading the nation, and have been on another record-setting pace since then.