It is a tool used to patrol the skies over war zones, but now the unmanned aircraft is in the air along the Minnesota-Canadian border.

From a distance, it looks like any other military aircraft. The predator is controlled from the ground, sometimes thousands of miles from where the plane is flying.

The U.S. Air Force has been using predators in war zones for years. But a pair of the aircrafts will be used in Minnesota, looking for everything from terrorists to drug dealers.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection flies the predator along the 4,000 mile border with Canada to track illegal activity, drugs, human trafficking, and weapons coming and going between countries. But it's also here for use by local police in Minnesota and North Dakota.

"We are trying to look as far forward as we can. When you have a bad guy coming at you, you don't want him to be seen or noticed for the first time when he is at your doorstep or within reach. You want to be able to project as far out as you can," explained Mike Corcoran with the CBP.

But all of this high-tech, high flying isn't just about crime and terrorism. This past spring, officials used the predator to provide data during the floods in Fargo.

"To be able to see the information, having it available to us, is extremely important," said Mayor Dennis Wallaker. "The best thing it does is take away the rumors, see what actually is happening on the ground, data that is real."

Pilots are rotated approximately every two hours. The aircraft itself is tireless, capable of flying nearly 22 hours if need be.

"Real time information and that is what this is all about—delivering information to the decision makers is how we make better decisions," Corcoran said.

While you may not be able to see it in the skies, know that there's a constant tool overhead—waiting to protect the nation from whatever threats arises.