Case Study: U.S. Border Patrol improves safety and border security with Skydio drones

U.S. Border Patrol improves safety with Skydio drones across 500 assets and 2,000 trained operators

The U.S. Border Patrol, a component of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), faced significant challenges in securing vast and diverse terrains, including 13,000 miles of land border and extensive coastal areas. Their manned aviation assets were unable to provide sufficient coverage, creating operational gaps and potential safety risks for agents during confrontations. To address this, they partnered with vendor Skydio to implement a security drone program.

Skydio provided small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) that serve primarily as a response and overwatch capability, enhancing officer safety. The solution improved operational efficiency by allowing agents to initiate covert surveillance and control the time and place of contact with suspects, drastically reducing incident resolution times from hours to minutes. The U.S. Border Patrol has operationalized approximately 500 Skydio drones with 2,000 trained operators, with about three drones airborne at any given minute. This has translated into significant labor cost savings and has become a critical piece of their security infrastructure.

U.S. Border Patrol