Thread by @RichieMcGinniss

THREAD:
I flew over 70 miles of new border wall in a Blackhawk helicopter with @USBPChief

One thing that surprised me was the sheer volume of construction crews actively working in remote and extreme terrain:

When I say “extreme terrain,” this is what I’m referring to:

Also note the proximity of the highway on the Mexican side of the border:

We also flew over a tunnel exit that was discovered by Border Patrol

As crossing the border is becoming more difficult, this Air Marine Agent who goes by Ricky told me that they have seen an uptick in air extractions of migrants who get stranded/injured in hard to reach locations:

We landed at the remote Camp Grip where a small group of border patrol agents do week-long shifts on site:

Basically it’s the middle of nowhere:

When the temperature drops, this area sees an increase in smuggler traffic. But the Yuma Sector Chief points out that given the harsh terrain, many of Border Patrol’s interactions with smugglers are rescues.

The camp does have some amenities tho, like a grill and some weights!

Tbh, I was pretty terrified sitting next to the door on the flight back:

Major props to law enforcement and military who do this regularly because flying through mountaintops next to an open door had me shook

After flying over the wall, I asked @USBPChief what changes Border Patrol has seen in the areas where the new wall is in place:

“Instant change. The country is safer every one of those bollards that goes in the ground.”

This is the first time I had an interview ended by fighter jets but the timing was too perfect:

THE END!