MARFA, Texas – The U.S. Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector announced the successful deployment and activation of the Helen Gardner Aerostat site, which became fully operational July 26. The site is located on the Helen Gardner Ranch, approximately three miles east of Sanderson, Texas.

The aerostat, a Department of Defense asset, enhances aerial surveillance capabilities in the Sanderson station’s area of responsibility and is monitored 24 hours a day.  The deployment represents a major advancement in the sector’s efforts to monitor and deter illicit cross-border activity in the Big Bend region’s remote and rugged terrain.

“The successful launch of the Helen Gardner Aerostat strengthens our situational awareness and gives our agents a significant operational advantage in areas that are difficult to patrol by land,” said Chief Patrol Agent Lloyd M. Easterling of the Big Bend Sector.

The deployment was made possible through joint efforts by U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters and the Big Bend Sector’s Specialty Programs and Enforcement Technology Department, highlighting continued investment in modern border enforcement strategies.

The Big Bend Sector will continue leveraging advanced tools to support its frontline personnel and maintain the security of the nation’s borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.