MISSION - Battling organized crime is an everyday reality for police in Hidalgo County. People living along the border have witnessed the criminal activity firsthand.
"I look over and here's this jeep… I saw it shoot down to the boat ramp. All of the sudden, a guy jumped out and gets a bundle. He threw it in the jeep," says Walter Lauckner.
He's lived on the river's edge for more than a decade. He tells us smugglers are getting too close for comfort.
"Activity is high," says Lieutenant Stacey Holland, a 12-year Department of Public Safety veteran. "The close proximity to the border and the ongoing border security issues make this a really busy station."
Holland pilots the skies over South Texas. He's among the state officers supporting local law enforcement.
"This whole area here has been an area of high-intensity drug trafficking during the last three or four months," the lieutenant explains.
He says smugglers are busier than ever.
"The consequences of failing when you work for one of these organizations is not good," Holland tells us. Smugglers who lose their cargo risk being killed by the drug cartels.
"So I think the risk they're willing take versus the consequences is why you're seeing an increase in the pursuits, river activity," he says.
The rising criminal activity is a big challenge for law enforcement patrolling the river. Authorities are being forced to boost tactics and numbers.
"We're flying more than ever providing support to all law enforcement," says Holland.
NEWSCHANNEL 5 joined Holland and his partner, Tactical Flight Officer Rudy Escobar, as they took to the skies.
The engines cranked, and within seconds, the sister helicopters were off the ground and headed to the border. The pilots started their sweep of the area in Mission.
While covering a stretch of the river near Penitas, we quickly spotted activity in Mexico. Two pickup trucks are seen. There appears to be packages in the back of one of them. Once the helicopters approach, the trucks flee.
It appears to be a smuggling attempt called off. Our pilot tells us they'll likely return to the area, adding they always do.
The pilots continue sweeping the area.
"We're looking for any unusual activity from the drug trafficking organizations: any unusual vehicles, camouflage tarps, scouts, anything that really doesn't belong in the area," explains Holland.
Lately smugglers try to distract some of the crews in the sky by operating near high obstacles, such as wires and towers.
The lieutenant tells us, "I think they see it as a tactic or maybe use it to their advantage. Luckily for us, we have night-vision goggles and thermal imagers that allow us to work around that. And the pilots that fly this area, they fly it every day."
The eyes in the sky prove extremely helpful at night.
"At nighttime, I'm looking through the thermal imager. If there are any scouts in the trees, something might be going on at the time. And we'll start looking for vehicles and rafts in the water," explains Escobar.
The helicopters are also equipped with a powerful spotlight that pierces the night sky. It shows activity on the ground, providing backup to officers below.
"We have a win-win mentality," says Holland. "We get better and better at what we do, through learning what's worked in the past and what's not worked in the past."
As for Walter Lauckner, he knows the fight against the criminals from Mexico is a war, not a battle.
"They haven't stopped shipping narcotics nor trying to sneak illegal immigrants in. They just went somewhere else," he says.
But he tells us he's glad for the extra eyes in the sky.
"At least you know there's somebody looking," he says.
