To help it execute the missions it is tasked with performing,
the US Border Patrol maintains several tactical units, located at various
locations throughout the US. These units operate under the direct control of the
Headquarters, Special Response Teams, located in Washington, DC. BORTAC is the
BP's national level tactical unit.
The stated mission of the U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Team is " to provide
the Immigration and Naturalization Service with a specially trained and equipped
tactical unit to address unusual situations within the service by use of special
techniques. This team has deployment capability to any location on short
notice."
The unit was first formed in 1984 to deal with disturbances occurring within
INS detention facilities, but this mission is now handled by INS Detention and
Deportation division's Tactical Intervention And Control (TIAC) teams. Since its
inception BORTAC has steadily expanded its scope and mission capabilities, and
is now a rapid response unit capable of executing both foreign and national
level domestic operations.
Over the last decade or so, BORTAC has conducted several high-risk
operations, and has operated extensively overseas. Some of these operations have
included providing support to counter-narcotics operations conducted by the US
Department of State, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other
Federal law enforcement organizations. During counter narcotics operations in
South America, such as Operation Blast Furnace, the unit has operated in
conjunction with the DEA's "Snow Cap" teams. BORTAC has also provided assistance
to the US Bureau of Prisons during large scale inmate disturbances and riots.
During one such operation BORTAC, along with several FBI SWAT teams, the US
Marshal's Service Special Operations Group (SOG), and US Army special operations
units, successfully restored order at the US Penitentiary, Atlanta (USPA) after
Cuban inmates there rioted. In addition they have operated with, or received
training from the US Coast Guard's now disbanded Drug Interdiction Assist Team
(DIAT), US military special operations forces (SOF) such as the US Navy SEALs
and Army Special Forces, and elite police and military units of several foreign
nations. BORTAC was also deployed to Los Angeles in 1992, to help restore order
after rioting broke in the wake of a not guilty verdict during a trial involving
whit e police officers accused of beating a black motorist.
The latest high profile operation undertaken by BORTAC occurred in April of
2000. Code named Operation Reunion, a team of BORTAC operators was tasked with
executing a raid to ensure the safe the return of Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez
to his father. During the operation BORTAC, and several other INS tactical
units, executed an early morning warrant on the home of Gonzalez's Miami
relatives. Despite the huge amount of negative publicity generated by the raid,
and complaints of excessive force being used by the BORTAC entry team, the unit
showed a large amount of restraint considering the amount of resistance they
faced. The team successfully entered the home, removed the child, exited the
area, and safely returned the child to his natural father, all without firing a
shot.
BORTAC headquarters is collocated with its training unit at Biggs Army
Airfield in El Paso, Texas. The BORTAC training unit is currently responsible
for conducting all INS tactical team training. In addition the unit also
provides specialist training to other Federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies. As part of a joint Department of State/ Department of Justice training
program, BORTAC has also provided tactical team and counter narcotics training
to several foreign governments police, paramilitary, tactical, drug, and
specialist units, including the El Salvadoran National Police's Grupo de
Respuesta Policial (GRP) tactical unit.
The five week BORTAC basic training course is considered one of the most
difficult and arduous training courses in civilian law enforcement. Qualified BP
personnel may volunteer for the unit. After an initial screening process, which
includes a strenuous physical fitness test, prospective BORTAC operators are
scheduled to attend the next BORTAC Basic Training Session. The course covers
such diverse subjects as operations planning, land navigation, patrolling,
tactical tracking, rappelling and fast roping, close quarters battle (CQB), riot
control techniques, defensive tactics, drown proofing, trauma medicine, combat
firearms, and air assault operations.
As proof of the difficulty in obtaining a spot on the team, and completing
the initial training course graphically displayed in July of 1999, when BORTAC
Basic Training Class XI graduated. The original group of BP agents applying for
BORTAC membership consisted of one hundred men, of this group sixty were
eliminated during the initial physical fitness test. Of the forty remaining
agents, thirty-eight reported for training, with twelve actually completing the
entire course.
Because of its national and international responsibilities BORTAC is
authorized a wide range of weapons systems not normally available to other BP
personnel. The following is a partial list of the approved specialized weapons
available for use by BORTAC: Barreta 96D 40 cal. Brigadier Service Pistol,
Heckler & Koch (HK) USP40, SIG- Sauer P229 DAO 9mm, Remington 870 12 gauge
shotgun with 14" barrel, M4A1 carbine, M-16A1 or A2 5.56mm rifle, M-14 7.62mm
rifle, HK UMP40 .40 cal SMG, Remington 700 .308 rifle, Remington M40 XBKS .308
rifle, M-79 40mm grenade launcher (GL), M-203 40mm GL, 37 mm gas guns, HK MP5 A2
or A3 9mm SMG, HK 33A2 rifle, HK53 A2 or A3 rifle, and the Steyr SSG rifle. The
Remington shotguns have been specially modified by Scattergun Technologies.
When conducting operations BORTAC personnel normally wear OG-1O7 uniforms, or
sage green flight suits with a subdued BP patch sewn on. Each team member is
also equipped with a Kevlar ballistic helmet, and an armored assault vest. Boots
worn by individual team members depend on the operators personal preference.
*Note*
Special thanks to "Augie"
& "Sharky" for providing me with most of the information for this
article
-Dominique
