For the past year, Fox News correspondents Bill Melgin and Griff Jenkins have been following complaints from Border Patrol officials that many of their critical remote surveillance cameras in several areas along the southern border were not working.
Republican lawmakers on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee said a whistleblower came forward to the committee last week. “More than one camera is offline,” he said. ”
The House Homeland Security Committee sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, claiming that a whistleblower came forward with concerning information about the issue to the committee last week.
A letter from Republicans to Mr. Mayorkas demanded answers.
Border Patrol faces mass surveillance camera outage with 'significant consequences': report
Border Patrol officials told Fox News that many critical remote surveillance cameras in multiple areas along the southern border are not operational. (Bill Melgin/FOX News)
Additionally, the Committee has confirmed that sources believe that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for repairing the cameras and that it is a company that employs non-U.S. nationals, contrary to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policy. The company claims that it has entered into an inappropriate contract. Operates camera tower equipment. ”
These surveillance cameras are critical to the Border Patrol in tracking migrant evaders, smugglers, fugitives, and large groups, and the fact that many of them are not functioning is a major problem for the Border Patrol. Yes, a committee official said.
“Multiple sources revealed to the committee last week that more than 66% of cameras in the Remote Video Surveillance System Upgrade (RVSS-U) program were inoperable.According to these sources, the busiest region in the South West There are reportedly more than 50 cameras in some parts of the country's border area, with several towers that have been offline for more than a year.
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DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and migrants pouring across the border. (John Moore/Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
The Border Patrol union said in a statement to Fox News:
“Once again, this administration's incompetence continues to show how out of touch DHS leadership is. Not only does it affect the country because of what we don't know, but it also affects society.''This is to protect the safety of our frontline workers,'' said Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Security Council.
NBC News reported The October memo said nearly a third of the tower's cameras, or about 150 of the tower's 500 cameras, were down due to technical issues.
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The Texas National Guard is monitoring more than 1,000 migrants who crossed the Rio Grande overnight from Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“Nationwide issues have a significant impact on society. [Border Patrol] “Operation,” the memo said.
The RVSS has been around for nearly 15 years and is used to monitor border areas without the need for regular ground patrols. Agents rely on a variety of detection and surveillance systems, including AI-equipped towers, helicopters, K-9s, border walls, and the agents themselves.
The agent is automatic watchtowerwhich is more advanced and uses AI to track migrants and help agents find them. CBP has deployed more than 300 towers.
Officials say the RVSS is an old and expensive system that requires regular maintenance and dedicated staff to monitor the cameras. This is in contrast to newer systems that use AI to provide real-time alerts to agents.
“CBP continues to introduce newer and more advanced technology.[s] Artificial intelligence and machine learning will replace outdated systems and reduce the need to run agents. [on] Non-obstructive functionality within a local command center. ”
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However, the National Border Patrol Council branch in Laredo, Texas, recently highlighted the problem “We share the concern that the inoperable surveillance towers along the border pose serious concerns for police officer safety and border security,” the agency said.
The report comes as border security remains a top issue in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Both presidential candidates, former President Trump and Vice President Harris, have promised to provide more funding to the southern border, trying to show voters they are stronger candidates to secure the southern border.
Fox News' Adam Shaw and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
