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>> When I first started working my job was to support the captain of the boat,

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and one of our primary focuses was gathering information and intelligence.

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>> It allows the vessel to get into areas that the agents

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may not necessarily be able to get into on shore due to lack of access.

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So it expands the operating environment.

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>> I already knew the area from the ground, working from a vehicle, responding to sensor traffic,

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responding to trails that went through the brush and through the grass, through the farmland.

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Working on a boat I got a better sense of how the traffic moved,

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how the aillegal aliens were smuggled through the area.

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I could see where they originated, where they crossed from Mexico

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across the Rio Grande River and landed on the U.S. side.

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>> There were a lot of different variables out there, heat, wind, of course weather.

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>> Safety is always a key in your mind.

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You have to be aware of everything because you're a target in the river.

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>> On the water you're in the open. You're very exposed.

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The noise level is extremely high;

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extremely hard to communicate, to hear each other and to hear the radio.

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It's very challenging in that regard.

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The obstacles in the water, you encounter a lot of different things,

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livestock, people swimming, fishermen, logs, rocks,

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all those things to take into consideration when you're piloting the airboat.

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>> We respond to a lot of rescue situations, a lot of body recoveries.

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There's a lot of people that try and cross the river that don't know how to swim,

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and the current in the Rio Grande River is deceptive, very strong.

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[radio talk]

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So we identify and locate bodies pretty frequently.

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>> The RSDV will be able to operate in as little as 4 inches of water.

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The safe boat, they can't operate in that.

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Then you have the airboat.

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It'll complement the airboat in areas which is right now it will operate only during daytime hours.

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The RSDV will be able to operate 24/7 so they'll split the capabilities with the airboats.

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It adds to the overall operations within each sector to use in their operations day to day.

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