GABRIELA RICO

A new effort in the fight against illegal immigration and drug smuggling through the Arizona desert is descending from above.

The Tucson sector of the U.S. Border Patrol is partnering pilots with specialized tactical agents to deliver swift response to ground agents who cannot catch up with smugglers or lose them in darkness.

Under the new arrangement, pilots swoop into remote areas and drop agents on the ground to catch smugglers, said the Tucson sector's chief patrol agent, David Aguilar.

Then the pilots direct other agents to the scene or guide them at night with laser pointers to suspicious activity.

"The helicopter and the pilot as one out there is probably the best tool that an agent on the ground can have," Aguilar said. "They're quicker and, in some cases, the only means of access."

Since Oct. 1, air operations have helped catch more than 8,000 illegal immigrants and 20,000 pounds of narcotics, Aguilar said.

The Border Patrol requires pilots to have at least three years' experience as agents on the ground, something Aguilar called "unique and important."

"It assures that the pilot and the agent on the ground are of one mind," he said.