El Paso Sector (K-2B)

Deployment Analysis

Location: El Paso, Texas – 2.32 miles of Urban and Agricultural Area

Key Issues/Constraints:

• The proposed K-2B project covers approximately 2.32 miles of land border with
Mexico in the Ysleta station Area of Responsibility (AOR).
• The Mexican cities of Ciudad Juarez, Colonias Zaragoza, Lomablanca, San Isidro and
San Agustin have a combined population of approximately 2 million and lay just
south of the proposed K-2B project area. The City of El Paso, Texas with an
estimated population of 609,000 lies directly north of the project area. (b) (7)(E)

• Ciudad Juarez is the 5th largest city in Mexico and the city of El Paso is the 23rd
largest in the United States. The combined El Paso/Juarez metropolis is the largest
along the U.S./Mexico border (b) (7)(E)

• The El Paso Metropolitan area is a major transportation hub for air, rail and vehicle
and is easily accessed from the project area.
• Interstate 10 and Highways 54, 62 and 180 are easily accessed (b) (7)(E)

• Tactical infrastructure within the 2.32 miles of the K-2B project is non-existent at the
present time. The area is largely urban with small portions of farmland adjacent to
the border communities. (b) (7)(E)

• The vanishing point for undocumented aliens and narcotics smugglers can be counted
in seconds to minutes across the project area. As the area continues to develop,
the installation of tactical infrastructure will become increasingly important in
maintaining operational control of the border.
• The Socorro Head Gates area has a network of canals, paved waterways, fences and
high brush that provide a variety of concealment that illegal entrants and smugglers
use to their advantage.
• The east end of the K-2B project encompasses the 372 acre Rio Bosque Wetlands
Park, which is the most active portion of the Ysleta station’s AOR for illegal activity.
The park is administered by the City of El Paso and has been managed by the
University of Texas at El Paso since 1996. (b) (7)(E)
A pedestrian fence would

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 mitigate the illegal cross-border activity, which would also result in better
preservation of this natural habitat.
• The K2-B project area is crisscrossed with irrigation canals that pose an imminent
drowning danger. These irrigation canals carry swift water and may become life
threatening to illegal cross-border traffic that underestimates the powerful water
currents. The pedestrian fence would deter illegal cross-border traffic from
negotiating this hazardous area. It would also free more agents from line-watch
duties that can detect and respond to aliens in distress.

Nature of the Threat:

• There were 2,843 apprehensions reported for the project area for Fiscal Year 2007.
• There were 6,182 turn-backs reported for the project area for Fiscal Year 2007.
• There were 10 human smuggling cases involving 38 undocumented aliens.
• There were 11 narcotic smuggling cases with combined seizures valued at $680,280.
• Agents have the ability to detect entries, but with no tactical infrastructure to deter or
impede illegal cross border activity, agents can be overwhelmed. Currently, a void is
created in the project area when an agent leaves his deterrence position to make an
arrest or process aliens. These voids are commonly exploited by alien and narcotics
smugglers and could potentially be used by terrorists looking to make an entry into
the Untied States.

Alternatives Analysis:

• Baseline – (b) (7)(E)

• Sensors – Standard ground sensors are utilized on the most frequented routes of
travel. (b) (7)(E)

, plus 3
year maintenance costs which would total $796,224 for the project.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment of additional sensors combined with
the current deployment baseline will facilitate increased detection capabilities, but
will not enhance identification, classification or response requirements.

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• Cameras - The deployment of cameras would provide surveillance of the project
area, but would offer little or no deterrence of illegal cross-border traffic. (b) (7)
(E)

which would
total $5,200,000 including 3 year maintenance costs for the project area.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment of cameras combined with the
current deployment baseline will aid in detection and facilitate increased
identification and classification capabilities, but will not enhance deterrence or
response requirements that the pedestrian fence alternative provides.

• Mobile Surveillance Radar - Surveillance Radar would provide tracking and

detection capability, but not in itself curtail illegal cross border traffic.
o (b) (7)(E)

which would total

$1,700,400 including maintenance over a 3 year period.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment of Mobile / Tower Surveillance
Radar combined with the current baseline deployment will facilitate increased
detection and identification capabilities, but will not enhance the persistence of
impedance that the pedestrian fence will provide.

• Border Patrol Agent – Border Patrol Agents are capable of detecting entries,
identifying and classifying threats and responding to intrusions, (b) (7)(E)

o The estimated cost of employing the additional agents would come to a total of
$147,150,000 over a 3 year period.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment (b) (7)(E)

would be deficient in
the ability to execute and sustain when compared to the pedestrian fence.

• Vehicle Fence – The deployment of vehicle fence in the project area would not effect
a change in the current traffic patterns. The Rio Grand River and terrain features
create a natural barrier to vehicle intrusions, making drive-thus possible only at the

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 o The cost of vehicle barrier is estimated to be $2 million per mile, plus the 3 year
maintenance cost which would total $6,635,200 million across the project area.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment of the vehicle fence combined with
the current baseline deployment will not enhance detection, identification,
classification or response requirements.

• Pedestrian Fence – The proposed K-2B fence project would significantly deter and
impede entries by foot, and vehicle drive-thus at the canal cross-over locations, which
would allow much greater response time to agents. The fence would benefit the
community by diminishing border crime such as; robbery, theft, vehicles stolen for
smuggling, assaults, kidnapping, extortion of aliens and bandit activity.
o It is estimated that Pedestrian fence with maintenance over a 3 year period across
the project area would cost $11,567,000.
o The Sector Chief anticipates the deployment of the pedestrian fence combined
with the current baseline deployment will enhance detection, identification,
classification and response requirements. In addition, the pedestrian fence would
provide the necessary persistence of impedance requirement that facilitates long
term sustainability.

• Best Technology Combination – An analysis of technology components was

conducted to determine what combination would be most cost effective. Based on the
evaluation conducted by Field Commanders and the Sector Chief, the most cost
effective combination of technology mix for the K-2B segment was determined to be
ground sensors combined with ground surveillance radar and cameras.

Key Evaluation Factors:

(b) (7)(E)

o The operational cost is that a number of agents deployed to gain and maintain
effective control of the area preclude any significant deployment of agents to
address shifts in smuggling activity to other areas within the Ysleta Station Area
of Operations.

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Recommended Solution:

o Deploy pedestrian fencing in the K-2B project area to deter illegal entrants
attempting to enter on foot. The deterrent effect of the fence will provide a
greater tolerance to depth of intrusion within the El Paso area of operations.
o Deploy radar and camera towers providing overlapping surveillance of the fence
and border area.
o Deploy Mobile Surveillance Units (MSS) to provide coverage in areas partially
covered by the tower. MSS Units can be moved very easily to areas with a high
level of illegal cross-border activity.
o Deploy visual deterrence systems (lights that may be activated by camera
operators) for nighttime deterrence, and audio systems (speakers that allow
operators to “talk” to potential illegal entrants to let them know they have been
detected and will face arrest if they continue into the U.S.
o Deploy Border Patrol Agents in a mobile capacity creating a second and third tier
enforcement posture that will enable the agents to patrol the border and respond to
traffic when the technology systems have detected and classified an entry. In this
manner, the high profile posture on the border will not be compromised and the
violators that are not deterred and do make a successful entry will be apprehended
in an effective and efficient manner.

Projected Results:

o The pedestrian fence will deter illegal entrants on foot through certainty of arrest.
o There will be significantly fewer agents required to maintain control in this area.
o Those who challenge the pedestrian fence will require equipment or assistance
from others, there by increasing the level of effort needed to make an intrusion.
o Large groups will be unable to stage and cross simultaneously, thus not
overwhelming the agents and providing a more manageable volume of intrusions.
o 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.
o Due to increased efficiency, agents will be available to expand operations to the
rural flanks to better address shifts in smuggling patterns.
o Increased level of effective control will be established allowing Ysleta to expand
that level of control to adjacent zones.
o The proposed enhancement of personnel, technology and resources should
increase the project area border security status to a sustainable level of “Effective
Control”, even during a significant rise in illegal cross-border activity.

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