Yuma Sector (C-1)

Deployment Analysis

Location: Andrade, California – 10.3 Miles of Urban Area

Key Issues/Constraints:

• The terrain throughout the C-1 segment consists of both urban and remote areas.
The urban areas are adjacent to the Andrade Port of Entry and are comprised of
neighborhoods and businesses on the Mexican side of the border. On the United
States side, the Andrade Port of Entry is surrounded by rolling hills and
mountainous terrain that consists of sandy washes, arroyos with mesquite trees
and low level scrub brush.

• The western remote portion of the C-1 segment is adjacent to the Imperial Sand
Dunes. The terrain is comprised of rolling sand dunes which are sparsely
vegetated. This area is heavily used from September through April by off road
enthusiasts on all terrain vehicles (ATV) and sand rails. There are between
35,000 visitors on a regular weekend and 150,000 visitors on a holiday weekend.
(b) (7)(E)
Formatted: Highlight

o The eastern portion of the C-1 project area has a man made barrier in the form
of the All American Canal which prevents vehicle drive throughs in four miles
of the project.

• A small section at the eastern end (.35 miles near POE Andrade) is situated on
Quechan Tribal Land. The existing coordination and cooperation with the
Quechan Tribe that has been ongoing throughout the C-1 project will need to
continue throughout the duration of the project.

o The Quechan Nation is currently building a new casino/truck stop at the

intersection of Interstate 8 and CA State Route 186 which is located
approximately 1.5 miles north of the international boundary. (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

• The average time for illegal entrants to elude apprehension is from seconds to
minutes due to the close proximity of Interstate 8 to the project area. Interstate 8
runs parallel to the border and ranges from ½ mile to 1.8 miles north of the
border. This is especially true at the western end of the C-1 project area near the

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 Imperial Sand Dunes where both legitimate and the illicit traffic can easily
traverse back and forth across a border that is not clearly marked.

• Mexican military incursions occur in the project area routinely due to the fact that
this area is poorly marked and not very discernable through the sand dunes and
scrub brush throughout the project area.
• The tolerance to depth of intrusion is seconds to minutes for both pedestrian and
vehicle entries throughout the project area due to the close proximity of Interstate
8.

Nature of the Threat:

• The close proximity to the border of Interstate 8 throughout the project area (b) Formatted: Highlight
(7)
(E)
• The All American Canal presents a drowning hazard to illegal entrants who
attempt to cross it using inner tubes or makeshift rafts. Many of these individuals
cannot swim and are at considerable risk when trusting their lives to the
smugglers and guides that utilize this avenue to cross their groups of smuggled
aliens.
• (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight
The clutter of legitimate traffic along the
border and lack of discernable International Boundary markers or fencing
throughout the Imperial Sand Dunes allows recreational users to inadvertently
cross back and forth over the border. (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

(b) (7)(E)

• The project area encompasses the location of the hit and run accident that caused
the death of a Border Patrol Agent. Senior Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar was
intentionally struck by the driver of one of two vehicles that had driven across the
border at the west end of the Imperial Sand Dunes. Senior Patrol Agent Aguilar
was run down by the driver of an SUV who was attempting to return to Mexico
after his illegal entry had been detected by agents working in the area. SPA
Aguilar was run down as he was attempting to stop civilians on ATV’s and
sandrails from entering the area where Border Patrol Agents were attempting to
stop the vehicle by deploying a controlled tire deflation device.
• The large volume of off-road enthusiasts that frequent the Imperial Sand Dunes
during the cooler winter months (October-April) adversely affects Border Patrol’s

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 ability to identify, classify and respond to illegal traffic. During some holiday
weekends, the volume of visitors to the area exceeds 150,000.
• Fiscal Year 2007 statistics for the project area include: 13,428 entries, 9,786
apprehensions; 2,722 getaways; 920 turn backs; 196 vehicle drive throughs and
narcotics seizures valued at $4,310,400.00.
• Also during Fiscal Year 2007, there were 35 acts of violence within the project
area to include 23 assaults on agents and 12 assaults on aliens.

Alternatives Analysis:

• Baseline - (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

o There are two sites within the C-1 project area that have day time/night
time camera technology. The cameras on these towers are equipped with
outdated technology and are in serious need of upgrades to the day time
and night time camera packages.
o Along the western end of the project, the El Centro Sector has deployed
triangular anti-vehicle barriers along the south side of Interstate 8 for
approximately 3 miles. These barriers force illegal drive through
vehicles to enter at established on ramps rather than cutting through the
freeway fence and entering directly onto I-8 from any location. Border
Patrol Agents can more effectively work the traffic due to the fact that the
barriers channel the traffic into one location and more importantly
enhances public safety.
o The current resource deployment provides an “Initial Control Capabilities
Established” border security status in the area. This status has been
established with the augmentation of specialty units, overtime assignments
and coordination with the Calexico Border Patrol Station to ensure full-
time coverage.

• Sensors – Standard ground sensors are utilized on known routes of travel or at foot
trail chokepoints.
o (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

(b) (7)(E)

o Total estimated 3 year cost is $3,535,350.

(b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

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• Cameras – Two SBInet permanent sensor towers with ground surveillance radar and
day/night cameras are proposed for the area along with upgrades to the two existing
towers in the area. (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight
The system will be well suited for open terrain of the area(b) Formatted: Highlight
The radar (7)
(E)
detection capability can detect activity at long distances, the camera systems can
identify and classify the threat, and the system can track the activity while operators
mount a response from Border Patrol Agents to make the apprehension or deter the
entry.
(b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

o Cost is per camera tower is $2 million

o Total estimated 3 year cost is $15.6 million
o Cameras will greatly enhance detection and tracking capabilities, but will
not provide the needed persistent impedance.

• Mobile Surveillance Radars - Two SBInet permanent sensor towers with ground
surveillance radar and day/night cameras are proposed for the area along with
upgrades to the two existing towers in the area. (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

The radar detection capability can detect activity at long distances, the
camera systems can identify and classify the threat, and the system can track the
activity while operators mount a response from Border Patrol Agents to make the
apprehension or deter the entry.
(b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

o Total estimated 3 year cost is $1.7 million

o Radar will greatly enhance detection and tracking capabilities, but will not
provide the needed persistent impedance.

• Border Patrol Agents – Border Patrol Agents are capable of detecting entries,
identifying and classifying threats and responding to intrusions.
o In order to provide the same level of deterrence as a pedestrian fence, a
significant number of additional agents would have to be deployed to the
project area.
(b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

(b) (7)(E)
o Cost is ~$150,000 per agent (to include salary, benefits, equipment)
o The total estimated 3 year cost is $217.8 million
o Due to terrain challenges associated with the Imperial Sand Dunes, agents in
regular patrol vehicles have a limited ability to access the dunes (b) Formatted: Highlight
(7)(E)

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• Pedestrian Fence –The installation of pedestrian fence with vehicle stop capabilities
will deter or significantly impede prospective illegal entrants who are not physically
capable of negotiating the obstacle and will slow both vehicle and illegal entrants on
foot who must defeat the barrier before affecting an illegal entry.
o 15’ requirement; hybrid pedestrian/vehicle fence capability;
o The proposed pedestrian fence design for this project includes an anti-vehicle
component in order to address the ease of access around the All American
Canal road and north to Interstate 8.
o Fence design will meet a “Floating” requirement to enable the fence to be
raised as the sand dunes begin to pile up around the base.
o Total estimated 3 year cost is $79.3 million
• Vehicle Fence – Vehicular fencing provides impedance and deterrence of illegal
drive through activity along the border.
o Cost is ~$2.2 million per mile
o Not intended to deter illegal cross-border pedestrian traffic
o Estimated cost is $29.5 million
o Vehicle fence was analyzed as an alternative, but was determined to be
ineffective against the illegal entry of ATV’s and illegal entrants into the
United States.

Key Evaluation Factors:

(b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

The Border Patrol Agents deployed using roving patrols in desert area,
agricultural areas, sand dunes and urban areas to effectively respond to entries before the
illegal entrants are able to abscond into urban areas and/or egress routes.
• (b) (7)(E) Formatted: Highlight

• In comparison, the 3 year cost to construct and maintain a pedestrian fence is

$79.3 million.
• The operational cost of deploying these agents into the C-1 segment would
preclude any significant deployment of agents to address other areas where traffic
shifts to from the C-1 segment.
• The installation of technology or upgrading of technology as a stand alone
alternative would not provide any impedance or deterrence not would it enhance
the agent response time.

Best Technology Combination:

The best combination of technology for deployment in the C-1 project area was
determined to be camera and mobile Radar technology. The cost of deploying additional
radar and camera sites is $17.3 million and will provide detection, and identification

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capabilities but does not provide the necessary persistence of impedance that a pedestrian
fence provides.

Recommended Solution:
• Deploy pedestrian fencing with anti-vehicle capabilities in the C-1 project area.
• Compliment pedestrian fence with technology.
o Deploy radar and cameras providing overlapping surveillance of the fence.
• Deploy Border Patrol Agents in a mobile capacity, patrolling the fence and
responding when the technology systems detect an individual, group or vehicle
that has defeated the barrier.

Projected Results:
• Deter vehicles from illegally entering the United States and to discourage the act
of “fleeing at a high rate of speed” into Mexico. The fencing will also have a
deterrent effect on illegal entrants attempting to enter on foot.
• Deter illegal entrants on foot through increased certainty of arrest.
• Technology compliment will provide operators with increased time to detect,
identify, classify and responding agents will have more time to respond and
resolve the intrusion as the smugglers and aliens will be forced to illegally enter
the U.S. on foot.
• Fewer agents will be required to maintain an increased level of control in this area
once it has been achieved.
• Create the ability to re-allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars in yearly salaries
for a one-time cost of tactical infrastructure and technology deployment.
• Agents will be available to expand operations into other border zones to address
any shift in smuggling patterns and continue to increase the effectiveness in those
areas.
• Increased level of control will be established and it is anticipated that the border
security status along this segment of border will be increased from “Initial Control
Capabilities Established” to “Effective Control” upon completion of the C-1
project.

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