Officials from the Department of Homeland Security will visit Fargo this week to meet with state and National Guard officials about the new Northern Border Air Wing branch in Grand Forks.
The trip will be led by Michael Kostelnik, who is responsible for air and marine activities at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
He is overseeing the establishment of the new air wing, which will carry out surveillance and interdiction missions with helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and several dozen staff members.
The Department of Homeland Security has also announced plans to base unmanned aerial vehicles in Grand Forks. The agency already operates a few Predator B UAVs and hopes to expand the fleet to at least 18.
The Air Wing office and its manned aircraft will be located at Grand Forks International Airport, but Homeland Security officials hope to base the UAVs at Grand Forks Air Force Base.
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Department of Homeland Security officials also will visit Bismarck and Grand Forks this week.
