DOUGLAS, Ariz., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. Border Patrol has said it wants to erect an 18 mile secondary fence on the Mexican border in Douglas, Ariz., the Arizona Daily Star reported Monday.

The secondary fencing proposal was included in the Border Patrol's revised draft environmental impact statement for its Tucson and Yuma sectors, the Daily Star said.

The fencing is "another enforcement tool that will allow the Border Patrol to patrol both sides of the fence. It will in effect decrease, if not stop, illegal crossing in the areas where it is used. And it will require less manpower to patrol those areas," said Andrea Zortman, a spokeswoman for the agency in Tucson.

Border Patrol officials said another fence would allow agents to patrol a corridor formed between the barriers, making them more effective.

The proposed fence's location and material contents were not included in the draft of the environmental impact statement.