The Big Bend Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection has made history with the launch of a groundbreaking vehicle-stopping system, the GRAB 350, at the Sierra Blanca immigration checkpoint in far West Texas. This marks the first time such a system has been installed at any of the 45 permanent Border Patrol checkpoints nationwide.
The GRAB 350 system combines a semi-autonomous retractable barrier with an in-ground tire shredder, designed to stop large high-speed vehicles. Positioned along Interstate 10—one of the busiest highways in the country—the barrier is meant to stop smugglers and others attempting to evade law enforcement, minimizing dangerous high-speed pursuits that put both agents and motorists at risk.
Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Lloyd Easterling called the system a game-changer for both public and agent safety. “This system allows us to stop and contain threats in a controlled environment before they become dangerous pursuits,” Easterling said. The technology is also expected to reduce injuries, collisions, and fatalities tied to pursuit incidents.
The Sierra Blanca checkpoint is one of four permanent checkpoints in a region that covers nearly a quarter of the entire southern U.S. border, including 77 Texas counties, the entire state of Oklahoma, and more than 500 miles along the Rio Grande. Due to its rugged mountainous terrain, constructing a physical border wall has been impossible, making surveillance and checkpoint systems critical.
Under the Biden administration, Big Bend agents recorded record highs in illegal border crossings, including nearly 12,000 apprehensions and over 9,000 known gotaways in 2023 alone. However, after a policy and technology overhaul under the Trump administration, illegal crossings plummeted to around 3,000 in fiscal year 2025.
The sector’s success is attributed to advanced surveillance technology like autonomous towers and aerostats, a return to strict enforcement policies, and increased personnel support. The deployment of the GRAB 350 signals a new level of tactical readiness as the sector continues t
