Breaking
December 15, 2024

US border surveillance towers face significant operational failures — vast areas unwatched, national security potentially at risk udinmwenefosa@gmail.com (Efosa Udinmwen) | usagoldmines.com

Recent reports have revealed that high-cost southern border surveillance technology is failing to deliver on its purpose.

A leaked memo obtained by NBC News reveals that nearly one-third of the cameras on the border’s primary surveillance towers are currently offline.

The report reveals that out of the 500 cameras installed on surveillance towers along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, about 150 are currently inactive.

Overlapping agencies and fragmented responsibilities

One of the core problems with the surveillance towers lies in the complicated web of federal oversight. While the Border Patrol depends on these systems to monitor remote areas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for maintaining the towers. This division of responsibility creates delays in repairs and maintenance, undermining the network’s effectiveness.

The Remote Video Surveillance System, where many of these cameras are installed, is only one part of the broader surveillance network. However, the entire system has been hampered by poor coordination, frequent project cancellations, and incompatible technologies developed by different vendors.

The history of surveillance technology at the border is marked by delays, budget overruns, and cancelled programs. One prominent example is the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet), which aimed to deploy towers across the U.S.-Mexico border. By 2010, after spending $1 billion, only 15 towers had been installed along a 53-mile stretch of Arizona’s border, covering just a fraction of the 387-mile expanse. The program was eventually scrapped in 2011 following internal reviews that criticized its performance and high costs.

There have been attempts to replace SBInet with new initiatives, such as the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan and the Southwest Border Technology Plan. However, they are also struggling.

Over the past two decades, the U.S. government has spent nearly $6 billion on surveillance towers and made efforts to consolidate the various systems into the Integrated Surveillance Towers network. However, there are challenges due to incompatible components and outdated technology.

A recurring issue with the surveillance towers is the absence of meaningful performance metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. In a 2017 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Border Patrol for failing to assess whether these technologies were improving security. The GAO urged the agency to develop performance metrics, but recent assessments suggest that little progress has been made.

In February 2023, the GAO noted that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials expect operational shortfalls of up to 36% by 2025, putting more towers at risk of becoming non-functional. Without clear benchmarks for success, it remains difficult to determine how much these expensive surveillance systems contribute to national security efforts.

The outages have frustrated Border Patrol agents, who rely on the cameras to monitor vast, remote regions. There are legitimate concerns about officer safety and border security due to non-operational towers.

You might also like

​ 

This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak

All rights reserved to : USAGOLDMIES . www.usagoldmines.com

You can Enjoy surfing our website categories and read more content in many fields you may like .

Why USAGoldMines ?

USAGoldMines is a comprehensive website offering the latest in financial, crypto, and technical news. With specialized sections for each category, it provides readers with up-to-date market insights, investment trends, and technological advancements, making it a valuable resource for investors and enthusiasts in the fast-paced financial world.

Recent:

NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, December 15 (game #287) | usagoldmin...
Quordle today – my hints and answers for Sunday, December 15 (game #1056) | usagoldmines.com
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Sunday, December 15 (game #553) | usagoldmines.com
Hey sysadmin, this is the perfect Christmas laptop gift for you; HX 370-powered Pocket 4 has a RS232...
Chinese flagship phones are great value for money, but they won't stay cheaper for much longer – her...
Rivian Gets Google Cast, YouTube App in Holiday Update Kellen | usagoldmines.com
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could come with a stylish new color | usagoldmines.com
Galaxy Watch Ultra Gets $460 Off Deal, But You Get a Bonus Free $80 Band Too Kellen | usagoldmines.c...
UGREEN Takes Up to 40% Off Uno Chargers and More in Amazon Sale Mitchel Broussard | usagoldmines.com
US government to restrict investments in China's high-tech sectors to safeguard national security ud...
Galaxy S24 Ultra Keeps Sitting at $800 Off With Trades Kellen | usagoldmines.com
Top Stories: iOS 18.2 Out Now, iPhone and Mac Rumors, and More MacRumors Staff | usagoldmines.com
The new Vault Hunter designs in Borderlands 4 are fine actually, you’re all just being mean christia...
Apple rumored to have started production on the iPhone 17 Air | usagoldmines.com
The US wants security requirements as standard to stop sensitive data from falling into enemy hands ...
EU citizens are enthusiastic about AI use in law enforcement, but some fear it is a danger to democr...
iMac Pro Launched Seven Years Ago Today Hartley Charlton | usagoldmines.com
Samsung Galaxy S25 rumored features: the key tipped upgrades on the S25 line | usagoldmines.com
Hugging Face launches an open source tool for affordable AI deployment udinmwenefosa@gmail.com (Efos...
The easiest way to get a $45 Costco Digital Shop Card | usagoldmines.com
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Samsung's XR headset reveal to Apple's 17 favorite App...
Paramount Plus: how to watch, price, free trial, movies, TV shows, and more tom.power@futurenet.com ...
The Bose New Soundlink Flex Is Down to Its Lowest Price (and It Arrives Before Christmas) Daniel Oro...
11 of the Best Music Documentaries Ever Made Jason Keil | usagoldmines.com
Four Situations When Supplemental Health Insurance Makes Sense (When You’re Not Retired) Jeff Somers...
All The Biggest Reveals From the 2024 Game Awards Michelle Ehrhardt | usagoldmines.com
iOS 18.2: What You Can Do With Visual Intelligence Juli Clover | usagoldmines.com
Character.AI won't let its chatbots get romantic with teenagers anymore erichs211@gmail.com (Eric Ha...
NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, December 14 (game #286) | usagoldm...
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Saturday, December 14 (game #552) | usagoldmines.c...
Quordle today – my hints and answers for Saturday, December 14 (game #1055) | usagoldmines.com
The Best Ways to Find a Running Track Near You (and a Beginner’s Workout to Try) Beth Skwarecki | us...
What You Can and Can't Make With iOS 18.2's Genmoji Feature Juli Clover | usagoldmines.com
Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm! Yes, 'Malcolm in the Middle' is being revived for Disney Plus jacob.krol@...
Amazon teams up with Samsung rival to design and build bespoke next generation tech that will help A...
The Intel Arc B580 GPU could rejuvenate the budget PC market - here's why allisa.james@futurenet.com...
Bird flu jumps from birds to human in Louisiana; patient hospitalized Beth Mole | usagoldmines.com
My Best Advice for Shipping Holiday Cookies Without Ruining Them Allie Chanthorn Reinmann | usagoldm...
ChatGPT Can Finally See Jake Peterson | usagoldmines.com
Yearlong supply-chain attack targeting security pros steals 390K credentials Dan Goodin | usagoldmin...
Windows PCs are full of ads. These 9 settings turn off the worst ones | usagoldmines.com
5 useful PC upgrades to plug into your unused PCIe slots | usagoldmines.com
Best Windows backup software 2024: Protect your data! | usagoldmines.com
Best gaming laptops under $1,000: Expert picks that won’t break the bank | usagoldmines.com
Classic Outlook gets an official ‘death date’ as users are urged to switch | usagoldmines.com
Best VPNs for Android 2024: Our picks for phones and tablets | usagoldmines.com
Mint Mobile Cuts $400 Off Pixel 9 Pro, Gives You Unlimited for 12 Months at 50% Off Kellen | usagold...
You Can Max Out Your IRA Contributions for Longer Than You Might Think Emily Long | usagoldmines.com
iOS 18.2: Here's How Mail Categories Work Juli Clover | usagoldmines.com
ChatGPT's new Projects feature can organize your AI clutter erichs211@gmail.com (Eric Hal Schwartz) ...
December Pixel Update Expands to Pixel Fold, Pixel 7 on T-Mobile Kellen | usagoldmines.com
WhatsApp Now Lets You Call Select Members of a Group Chat Jake Peterson | usagoldmines.com
Toxic Christmas Tree Water and Other Holiday Pet Dangers You Never Knew About Lindsey Ellefson | usa...
Best laptops for college students 2024: Top picks and expert advice | usagoldmines.com
It’s Time to Learn What ‘Core Sleep’ Actually Is Beth Skwarecki | usagoldmines.com
Report: Apple to Stop Selling iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in EU This Month Joe Rossignol | usagoldmines....
Best Apple Deals of the Week: Steep Discounts Hit Apple Watches and Bands, Plus Sales on AirTag, Ank...
“6G can efficiently enable intelligent computing everywhere”: Qualcomm offers an exclusive sneak pee...
Hackers are abusing Microsoft tools more than ever before | usagoldmines.com
Microsoft announced Phi-4, a new AI that’s better at math and language processing | usagoldmines.co...
Google Home Devices Get First Taste of Gemini in Place of Assistant Kellen | usagoldmines.com
This iPhone 15 Pro Max Is Less Than $900 Pradershika Sharma | usagoldmines.com
Google Maps’ Best Feature Is About to Get a Lot Less Useful David Nield | usagoldmines.com
Apple Begins Selling New Vision Pro Carry Sling and Exclusive Charging Accessories Juli Clover | usa...
I didn’t expect Fallout to win Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2024 when Netflix’s Arcane was suc...
This Yoto Mini 'fire hazard' children's speaker has been recalled again due to its overheating batte...
Werner Herzog muses on mysteries of the brain in Theater of Thought Jennifer Ouellette | usagoldmine...
Nvidia stokes RTX 50-series hype with Witcher 4 and a global LAN party | usagoldmines.com
Google’s Pixel Camera Update Returns Quick Access Controls, and Folks are Happy Kellen | usagoldmine...
This Free App Archives and Deletes Your Tweets Justin Pot | usagoldmines.com
Now Is the Best Time to Get a Deal on a Used Car Emily Long | usagoldmines.com
The MacRumors Show: Apple's 2024 – Year in Review Hartley Charlton | usagoldmines.com
M2 iPad Air Holiday Deals Include $100 Off and All-Time Low Prices at Best Buy Mitchel Broussard | u...
Civil societies warn against EU plans to make digital devices monitorable at all times chiara.castro...
Prime Video is testing a great new feature that'll use AI to better recommend movies and shows | us...
eM Client boosts email offerings with Postbox acquisition udinmwenefosa@gmail.com (Efosa Udinmwen) |...
Project Moohan shows Samsung doesn’t understand what makes the Meta Quest 3 special – and I don't t...
Where is Apple CarPlay 2? A 2024 launch is looking unlikely, but not impossible alexblake.techradar@...
Apple forced to patch iOS and macOS security flaw that could have leaked your private info | usagol...
Astro Bot takes home four major awards at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year | usagol...
Americans spend more years being unhealthy than people in any other country Beth Mole | usagoldmines...
F1 Arcade trip report: Great sims make for a compelling experience Jonathan M. Gitlin | usagoldmines...
Don’t use crypto to cheat on taxes: Bitcoin bro gets 2 years Ashley Belanger | usagoldmines.com
Elon Musk slams SEC as agency threatens charges in Twitter stock probe Jon Brodkin | usagoldmines.co...
Best PCIe 4.0 SSDs 2024: Top picks from experts | usagoldmines.com
Get festive with these magical Christmas tree lights for 35% off | usagoldmines.com
Does it really matter what thermal paste you use in your gaming PC? | usagoldmines.com
Seven Ways to Make Hosting Little Kids for the Holidays Less Stressful for Everyone Jason Keil | usa...
The 28 Best Holiday and Christmas Movies on Netflix Right Now Ross Johnson | usagoldmines.com
Best Buy Takes Up to $200 Off M4 iPad Pro, Available From $849 Mitchel Broussard | usagoldmines.com
New Galaxy S25 leak suggests there'll be no Slim model after all, but I'm not convinced jamie.richar...
Image Playground made me a wizard but I’m still waiting for that Siri magic lance.ulanoff@futurenet....
Amazon pauses $1bn Microsoft 365 rollout following Russian security concerns | usagoldmines.com
Split Fiction is a new co-op game from the studio behind the award-winning It Takes Two | usagoldmi...
The US military is now talking openly about going on the attack in space Stephen Clark | usagoldmine...
Today’s best laptop deals: Save big on work, school, home use, and gaming | usagoldmines.com
Installing Windows 11 on old PCs is incredibly risky. Here’s why | usagoldmines.com
Ho ho ho! ChatGPT rolls out a Santa voice for Christmas season | usagoldmines.com
Watch out! Your latest data breach notification might not be real | usagoldmines.com
This tiny (but mighty!) speaker is 40% off right now | usagoldmines.com

Leave a Reply