US Beefing Up Surveillance Of Northern Border With Predator

Building upon the success of conducting US-Mexico border surveillance with Predator UAVs, the US Customs and Border Protection has announced plans to utilize one of the unmanned aircraft to patrol the border between Michigan and Ontario, Canada.

According to the Detroit Free Press, CBP spokesman Juan Munoz-Torres last week confirmed reports that the agency intends to increase surveillance of the northern US border, and part of that increase includes patrols employing the Predator.

"It’s a great platform," Munoz-Torres said. "It’s very, very effective." Flying at 19,000 feet, the UAV is too high to be audible and unlikely to be visible by persons on the ground, but has a high-tech camera capable of detecting details – such as a person crossing the border – from 25 miles away.

Munoz-Torres said that no date has been set yet for the patrols to start, but indicated the aircraft would likely be based in the Alpena, MI area.

The CBP’s plans for aerial surveillance in the area has triggered opposition from some of the US’s northern neighbors. Responding to an article about the planned UAV patrols in the Toronto-based National Post, blogger Raymond de Souza wrote: "My home on Wolfe Island, Ontario, is less than 10 miles from the New York border. A Predator B drone on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River would have me under constant surveillance. I would regard that as an invasion of my civil liberties."

In addition to border patrols, Predators can be used in a variety of roles. A Predator based in North Dakota has recently been helpful in managing the flooding of the Red River, by relaying images helpful to officials monitoring the river’s stages and assessing damage.

FMI: www.cbp.gov