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WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new eye in the sky over the US-Mexican border.

Homeland Security says it'll start using unmanned surveillance aircraft and other high-tech upgrades in ongoing efforts to protect the Southern border of the United States.

The agency has the green light from the FAA to operate the drones along the Texas border and throughout the Gulf Coast region. Customs and Border Protection will base a surveillance aircraft at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Texas.

They're also going to work with "Project Roadrunner" -- the license plate recognition system designed to seek out possible drug traffickers.

And finally, there's an attempt to improve information sharing among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

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