Sept. 17 (UPI) — Later this month, a tethered balloon over the Florida Keys will help border agents monitor for illegal activities.
The Air and Marine Operations arm of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will launch this month its “Argos 2” blimp-like surveillance system over Cudjoe Key to further enhance satellite tracking for illegal immigration or other illicit activities, the government said Tuesday.
The blimp-like aerostat dubbed “Argos 2” will launch sometime this month with a “Tethered Aerostat Radar System,” which since 1980 has been in operation, according to a U.S. Customers and Border Protection news release .
TARS uses helium to send the balloon as high as 10,000 to 12,000 feet, officials said, adding that the altitude allows long-range radars to overcome line-of-sight restrictions caused by the curvature of the earth.
CBP says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has “seen upticks in transportation avenues and conveyances for illegal smuggling, fishing and immigration activities.”