BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A request from higher headquarters crackled over the radio of a Texas National Guard drone team: U.S. Border Patrol agents needed immediate aerial support.

A nearby homeowner had reported two people moving through thick brush in the dark near the Rio Grande. Border Patrol agents searched the area on foot without locating the individuals, who were suspected of an unlawful border crossing.

Within minutes, a Soldier and an Airman with the Texas Guard’s 640th Technology Integration Cell deployed their unmanned aircraft system.

The cell carries out observation flights along the border as part of Operation Lone Star, a Texas Guard mission to deter illegal border crossings and interdict drug smuggling and other criminal activity along the border in support of state and federal agencies.

“When I called you up, we were about to call it quits,” a Border Patrol agent said to the team.

The observation drone’s rotors buzzed as it lifted from its landing pad, the sound softening as it climbed several hundred feet into the night sky. Operators used its thermal cameras to scan the riverbank and dense brush below, monitoring the live feed on a tablet display.

“Our teams directly support Operation Lone Star task forces through small, unmanned aircraft systems and observation vehicle capabilities,” said U.S. Army Capt. Stephen Landrum, a drone pilot and officer in charge of C Flight, 640th TIC. “We integrate with state and federal partners across multiple mission sets, from border security to disaster response, ensuring commanders and agencies have the information they need to make decisions.”

From that elevated position, the drone team assessed in seconds areas that would take ground personnel significant time to search on foot, providing real-time information to partner agencies.

“That extra vantage point lets us expand coverage into areas they can’t see and react more quickly,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mark Clemente, a drone pilot with the 640th TIC.

The rough terrain in the Rio Grande Valley presents challenges for ground elements, especially at night. Aerial overwatch allows information to move quickly to those who need it.

“Anything that looks suspicious gets passed directly to our partners,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Sara Ramon, a drone pilot with the 640th TIC. “From there, they take action.”

Texas Guard units began integrating small, unmanned aircraft systems into border operations in 2023. That year saw roughly $1.8 million in narcotics confiscations, with similar results in 2024 and 2025, said Texas Guard officials.

This year, with an increased focus on small drones, confiscations have already exceeded $5.8 million. Texas Guard officials said the added aerial perspective has helped partner agencies apprehend members of transnational criminal organizations and prevent narcotics from moving farther into the U.S.

Ramon attributed the increase in narcotics interdictions and related apprehensions to unmanned systems becoming part of routine border operations and partner coordination. Continued presence in the same areas has also allowed UAS crews to build familiarity with the terrain and movement patterns, increasing deterrence.

“We work the same areas repeatedly,” Ramon said. “You start recognizing patterns and understanding where activity usually happens.”

That familiarity allows crews to reposition aircraft more quickly and communicate specific locations and landmarks more precisely with partner agencies.

Clemente, a Rio Grande Valley native, said serving in the region carries personal significance.

“It feels like you’re protecting your hometown,” he said. “You don’t want violent offenders or drugs coming into your community.”

The same unmanned systems used in border operations are also deployed during Texas Guard hurricane and flood responses and statewide search and rescue missions. In July 2025, members of the 640th TIC were part of a quick reaction force that responded to catastrophic flooding of the Guadalupe River in central Texas.

“These platforms support multiple missions,” Ramon said. “We train so they’re ready whether it’s border security, storm response or search and rescue.”

That multifaceted capability reflects how Guard units support both state and federal missions nationwide.

While border security and disaster response are domestic missions, Texas Guard UAS pilots, instructors and maintenance personnel train first and foremost for the combat mission. The training and equipment that prepares them for overseas deployments, force protection and reconnaissance operations under federal authority also enable those same teams to respond when communities and partner agencies need support at home.

National Guard leaders reinforced that approach during the National Guard Drone Dominance Forum in January, emphasizing the need to embed unmanned systems into daily operations rather than treat them as specialized capabilities.

“Drone dominance is no longer theoretical. It’s operationally relevant today,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Todd A. Hofford, vice director of operations, National Guard Bureau.

In December, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum directing the War Department to prioritize drone dominance and accelerate unmanned system integration across the force.

Hofford noted that Guard units in all 54 states and territories are expanding unmanned aircraft training and employment as part of Army and Air Force doctrinal shifts. Operator and instructor courses have been built to sustain training pipelines, and units have hosted capability integration events to test tactics and share best practices.

At the Pentagon, Army acquisition leaders are focused on modernization.

Lt. Col. Mike Carroll, product manager for small, unmanned aircraft systems with Program Executive Office Aviation, said this includes accelerating fielding timelines and adapting to evolving operational environments.

“The character of war has changed,” Carroll said. “We have to continue to be innovative and adaptable to stay at the speed of relevance.”

Texas Guard leaders said readiness depends on disciplined training and repetition as much as equipment.

“Capabilities alone do not create readiness,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Zuwiyya, a UAS operations officer and drone pilot instructor with the Texas Army National Guard. “We have to invest in training and integration, so these systems become part of how we operate.”

Back in Texas, the buzz of small rotors amplified as Clemente guided the drone back to its landing pad. The individuals they searched for were not located that night, but aerial overwatch allowed partner agents to search the terrain more efficiently and continue operations along the Rio Grande.

For the drone team, it was a mission built on training designed for combat and applied nightly in service to their home state.