By Steve Neavling
A CBP surveillance blimp broke free from its tether and crashed into power lines in Texas on Monday after strong winds carried it more than 600 miles.
The large surveillance balloon, known as “Eyes in the Sky” and previously called the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), is used to monitor air and marine traffic along the southern border. It typically hovers at 10,000 feet, providing border officials with a wide view of the area.
High winds tore the blimp loose from its mooring in South Padre Island, sending it drifting north before it came down in the rural town of Quinlan, about 30 miles east of Dallas, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The agency said the storm damaged the aerostat, cutting off communication before it broke free, the Independent reports. The South Padre blimp usually monitors the Gulf of Mexico.
