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A look at Super Bowl security, from land to air

Customs and Border Patrol is scouring the skies with aircraft full of advanced security technology to make sure the Super Bowl is a secure event.

By: Adi Guajardo

Posted

Less than a minute from State Farm Stadium, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations is ramping up efforts to secure the field as fans pack in for an action-packed Super Bowl.

Scripps News took flight to get a glimpse of the critical task at hand, set to attract 100 million viewers worldwide.

CBP says 150 personnel are working security at the Super Bowl to ensure everyone's safety.

"We have agents coming in from Great Lakes, Washington, San Diego, El Paso, so it's really a multi effort job here," said Alexander Zamora, supervising air enforcement agent with CBP Air and Marine Operations.

CBP Air and Marine Operations says they'll have two planes and four helicopters scouring the stadium equipped with cameras, infrared detection and heat monitoring.

"We're able to really zoom in and see any kind of activity or anything that might be of concern on the ground and relay that back to a command center so we can decipher what's going on and see what kind of response we need to have to it," Zamora said.

The cameras looking down will relay information to a command center.

There will also be personnel on the aircraft that can fast-rope down and respond to an emergency, something they have gone through in the two months they have been training for the event.

Additional CBP officers are on the ground with technology ensuring only approved shipments get through security and into the stadium.

"If we find something that's not right, then we're going to stop and we're going to work with our partners on the ground to determine what the issue is and to remedy it," said Christopher Larkins, CBP supervisor program manager.

Local and federal officers are working together to tackle the big game.

A spokesperson with the NFL told Scripps News the Super Bowl is a level one national security event, adding that they installed over 2 million pounds of concrete around the stadium and five miles of fence to beef up security.

Getting into the event will also require an airport style screening, with eyes in the air and on the ground. Officials say their goal is simple: to land their own win.