for the pbs newshour at kaiser health news, i'm sarah varney.umber of applications at the u.s.-mexico border have climbed steadily this year. in may, border agents reported more than 180,000 encounters with migrants. lorraine rivera of arizona public media spend a day recently with customs and border patrol on the ground and in the air during a sweep of the sonoran desert. >> 39 miles away, takes about 22 minutes. reporter: jack paynter is an air interdiction agent with customs and border protection arrow marine operations. he's been directed to locate a group of four people walking in the desert a few miles north of the border, northwest of novalis. >> an agent down in the cut. >> right in front of you. >> when we arrive, we found the group wearing camouflage, hiding under the trees. 2 agents took the group into custody, placed them in handcuff and walked them out of the canyon. with this assignment complete, we are onto the next call. >> put the coordinates in real quick. >> he coordinates with operators in tucson and agents below him. >> this

for the pbs newshour and kaiser health news, i'm sarah varney in elizabeth, new jersey. >> woodruff:umber of apprehensions at the u.s./mexico border have climbed steadily this year. in may alone, agents documented more than 180,000 encounters with migrants. lorraine rivera of arizona public media spent a day recently with c.b.p. on the ground and in the r, during a sweep of the sonoran desert. >> okay, it's 39 miles awa it's going to take us about 22 minutes to get there. >> reporter: jack painter is an air interdiction agent with customs and border protection air and marine operations. today, he's been directed to help locate a group of four people walking in the desert a few miles north of the border, northwest of nogales. >> looks like an agent down in the cut, right there. >> we've got bodies right in front of me. >> reporter: when we arrive, we find the group wearing camouflage, hiding under the trees. two agents take the group into custody, place them in handcuffs and walk them out of the canyon. >> i'm going to wait for my partner. >> okay, sounds good. great job. >> reporter: