Tucson, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Mobile Response Team and Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) returned home Tuesday afternoon after a 26-day rotation in Puerto Rico.
detail to Hurricane Maria relief
efforts
Agents performed enforcement support missions with local police and provided humanitarian assistance in Aguadilla, Aricebo, Byamone and San Juan, as a part of the larger FEMA mission following Hurricane Maria.
Border Patrol leadership in Puerto Rico provided logistical support, allowing agents on the ground to be an effective force in reaching those in need. Despite damaged infrastructure and communications, agents managed to transport supplies across the island using skills they learned on the job.
“The Border Patrol is very adept at going into desolate areas that are hard to navigate, and sometimes dangerous,” said Border Patrol Agent Kevin Reilly, who recently returned from Puerto Rico. “For us, it was another ‘day at work’. All the guys on MRT and BORTAC are workers; especially when we were getting the supplies needed to help the people in Puerto Rico. The Border Patrol was tailor made for this.”