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From NBC News: Nearly one-third of the cameras in the Border Patrol’s primary surveillance system along the southern U.S. border are not working, according to an internal agency memo sent in early October, depriving border agents of a crucial tool in combating illegal migrant crossings.
“The nationwide issue is having significant impacts on [Border Patrol] operations,” reads a Border Patrol memo sent to a sector of agents along the southern border and obtained by NBC News
The large-scale outage affects roughly 150 of the 500 cameras perched on surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was due to “several technical problems,” according to the memo. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, blamed outdated equipment and outstanding repair issues.
The camera systems, known as Remote Video Surveillance Systems, have been used since 2011 to “survey large areas without having to commit hundreds of agents in vehicles to perform the same function.” But according to the internal memo, 30% were inoperable. It is not clear when the cameras stopped working.Two Customs and Border Protections officials said that some repairs have been made this month but that there are still over 150 outstanding requests for camera repairs. The officials said there are some areas that are not visible to Border Patrol because of broken cameras.
In a Facebook post last week, Hector Garza, Border Patrol Union president in the Laredo sector, sounded the alarm over the inoperable camera towers. He wrote:
Local 2455 Members, The National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 continuous to receive numerous officer safety and border security concerns from Border Patrol Agents regarding USBP Camera Towers that are inoperable along the US/Mexico border.
USBP HQ is aware that many camera towers along the border are inoperable and they are currently “working” on fixing this issue.
The National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 shares your concerns that inoperable camera towers along the border are causing serious Officer Safety and Border Security concerns.
We hope this issue is resolved soon, as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time! The American Taxpayer has made significant investments in technology along the border, and they expect that this technology is operational.We will update you as more information becomes available! Thank you for your dedication to securing the border! Stay safe,
Hector Garza, President, Local 2455
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for CBB said in a statement that about 300 new towers have been installed, and stated, “CBP continues to install newer, more advanced technology that embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace outdated systems, reducing the need to have agents working non-interdiction functions.”
The memo obtained by NBC News is blaming the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the problem, as that agency is reportedly responsible for servicing the systems and repairing the cameras.
Another Border Patrol official claimed the agency is trying to fix a problem that has “not been properly managed for the last 20 years.”
Exclusive: Nearly 1/3 of the cameras in CBP’s primary surveillance system are down. Repairs in the works (plus addition of new technology). Border union says it presents operational and safety concerns: https://t.co/7AmObumEOX
— Julia E. Ainsley (@JuliaEAinsley) October 14, 2024
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