CBP issues RFI for Border Patrol riverine craft

Written by Nick Blenkey
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U.S. Border Patrol agent investigates a potential landing area for illegal immigrants along the Rio Grande river in Texas

MAY 14, 2018 — Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has posted a request for information (RFI) seeking information on the manufacture of riverine airboats or other vessels that may meet its requirements to support the United States Border Patrol (USBP) mission along the United States Southwestern border.

The Riverine Surface Patrol Platform (RSPP) will be designed to provide a means of transportation to USBP Agents and resources engaged in a wide variety of Department of Homeland Security missions and tasks in the Rio Grande River Valley. These missions and tasks are currently conducted by airboats in shallow to moderately deep waters and from soft river bed to rocky substrate.

The RSPP will also be used in areas of river covered with weed, grass, and mud.

The USBP conducts riverine operations 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to perform three primary operational tasks: patrolling, intelligence gathering, and deterrence operations.

The RSPP may be employed to support secondary missions, when required, including the transport of additional law enforcement officers, cargo, equipment, detainees, other individuals, and towing of other law enforcement or detained water vessels.

The RSPP vessels are not intended to conduct pursuit or intercept operations or tasks. The vessel will have a seating arrangement that allows for up to five Border Patrol Agents. Support for its mission set will require space on board the boat for additional people, equipment and contraband.

The RSPP will be designed to: conduct operations on rivers, lakes, marshlands, and inland waterways including areas of deep moving river waters, small rapids, partially exposed sand and gravel bars, and areas of extremely shallow water where other marine platforms are incapable of navigating. The safety of agents and others is of the highest priority; design and construction of the boat(s) will take safety into consideration at all times.

See the RFI HERE

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