Southwest
Late-night CBP helicopter ride-along shows advanced tech used to apprehend migrants
EL PASO, Texas – Fox News took an exclusive late-night helicopter ride over the El Paso, Texas, sector, offering a glimpse into U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations to capture migrants trying to evade, and the challenges agents face each night.
Our team got a first-hand look at the advanced technology that CBP uses to detect migrants and smugglers.
Agents with the agency’s Air and Marine Operations wore nighttime vision goggles as we flew above one of the busiest areas for migrant traffic.
“All right, those two are crawling away,” one of the agents said.
BILLION-DOLLAR MEXICAN CARTEL OPS DISRUPTED BY TRUMP’S BORDER CRACKDOWN AS US ISSUES DO-NOT-TRAVEL WARNING
Fox News takes an exclusive look at the border in the El Paso Sector with Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, Texas. (Fox News)
The helicopter was equipped with a high-tech camera designed for nighttime surveillance. The agents monitored a live feed, enhanced by a mapping software, allowing them to pinpoint the exact locations of the migrants.
We watched as some migrants cut holes in the border wall and squeezed through, while others hid behind brush, rolling on the desert to slip past authorities. Little did they know, we were with agents five miles away and still able to track their every move from the skies and in the pitch black.
Agents also used lasers, which are invisible to the naked eye. The lasers can lock onto targets, giving precise coordinates.
The Air and Marine agents stayed in constant communication with Border Patrol agents on the ground and were able to guide them to the locations.
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Fox News took an exclusive helicopter ride with Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, Texas. (Fox News)
Our camera crew on the ground captured several of the apprehensions, including that of a 19-year-old from Mexico and a man from Guatemala.
Not only are encounters down in the El Paso Sector, but agents tell Fox News the number of “gotaways,” which are migrants who evade capture, has also decreased. On Wednesday, Border Patrol agents said they had zero gotaways, which was the first time in a few years.
Agents also pointed out the new presence of Border Patrol and National Guard vehicles stationed in hot spots. Prior to the Trump administration, Border Patrol agents were stretched so thin that they said they didn’t have the manpower to have a strong presence in these critical areas.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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