30% of the cameras in Border Patrol’s main surveillance system are broken, memo says

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Nearly one-third of the cameras in the Border Patrol’s primary surveillance system along the southern U.S. border are not operational, according to an internal memo from early October. This issue deprives border agents of a crucial tool for combating illegal migrant crossings.

“The nationwide issue is having significant impacts on [Border Patrol] operations,” states the memo, which was sent to a sector of agents along the southern border and obtained by NBC News.

The large-scale outage affects approximately 150 of the 500 cameras on surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The memo attributes the problem to “several technical issues,” with officials citing outdated equipment and unresolved repair needs. These officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, noted that some repairs have been made this month, but over 150 repair requests remain outstanding. Consequently, some areas are not visible to Border Patrol due to the broken cameras.

The camera systems, known as Remote Video Surveillance Systems, have been in use since 2011 to “survey large areas without having to commit hundreds of agents in vehicles to perform the same function.” However, the memo indicates that 30% of these cameras are inoperable, and it is unclear when they stopped working.

A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson mentioned that the agency has installed around 300 new towers with advanced technology. “CBP continues to install newer, more advanced technology that embraces artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace outdated systems, reducing the need for agents to perform non-interdiction functions,” the spokesperson said.

The Border Patrol union in Laredo, Texas, highlighted the issue on Facebook last week, expressing concerns about officer safety and border security due to the inoperable camera towers. “We hope this issue is resolved soon as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time!” the union stated. “The American taxpayer has made significant investments in technology along the border, and they expect that this technology is operational.”

The internal memo blames the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the problem, as the FAA services and repairs the cameras. The memo indicates that the FAA has had internal issues meeting the Border Patrol’s needs but does not elaborate on these problems. The FAA plans to send personnel to the southern border to work on the cameras.

Border Patrol leaders are considering replacing the FAA with a contractor that can provide “adequate technical support for the cameras.” A third Customs and Border Protection official mentioned that the agency is trying to address a significant problem that has been mismanaged for the past 20 years.

An FAA spokesperson declined to comment.

The Department of Homeland Security’s budget request to Congress has consistently asked for more funds to restore surveillance systems along the border. However, House Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill this year that would have significantly improved surveillance systems, hired additional Border Patrol agents, and resumed border wall construction.

Source: NBC News