The entire 2,000-mile US-Mexico border will be monitored by drones starting Wednesday when a new Predator drone begins flying from Corpus Christi, Texas, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
There are already three drones operating along portions of the border. Aside from the new drone launched today, money for two more was included in $600 million legislation President Barack Obama signed earlier this month, which ramps up border security ahead of midterm elections on Nov. 2 and as MexicoÂ’s heated drug war gains more attention. Meanwhile, Napolitano calls the border safer than ever.
"With the deployment of the Predator in Texas, we will now be able to cover the southwest border from the El Centro sector in California all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, providing critical aerial surveillance assistance to personnel on the ground," Napolitano said during a conference call, according to Reuters.
"This is yet another critical step we have taken in ensuring the safety of the border and is an important tool in our security toolbox," she said.
Previously, the drones had covered only California to the west Texas portion of the border, according to the Associated Press.
By the beginning of next year, six should be operating along the border, covering California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.
The Predator B drones that are being deployed have night-vision cameras and can stay in flight for 30 hours, detecting drug and human smuggling, Reuters added. |