OCTOBER 21, 2025 – On October 11, 2025, a UH-72 Lakota helicopter from Task Force Sentinel took off from Tucson International Airport for a routine mission. The air crew consisted of Soldiers from the California National Guard and a Border Patrol Agent. The mission originally began as an air support request in response to a report of six Illegal Aliens moving on foot in the Nogales Area of Responsibility. En route to the site to provide overhead support to on-ground Border Patrol Agents (BPAs), the crew approached Montana Peak, an area known for its isolated and uneven terrain.
The on-ground BPAs were able to apprehend two of the subjects, while the other suspected IAs went undetected. The search continued as the crew used their eyesight and a powerful sensor equipped in the Lakota to spot the rest of the group.
“The area we were working in is near Montana Peak in the Ruby area, which is rough, unforgiving terrain that is very steep and not near any roads or other civilization,” said the pilot in command. “This makes it challenging for agents on ground to work and traverse the area, and equally as tough for the group of IAs [Illegal Aliens] on the ground to traverse.”…