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Nearly one third of surveillance cameras along the US-Mexico border are not working, according to an internal memo from Border Patrol.
Roughly 150 of the 500 cameras on watchtowers along the border have been affected, causing “significant impacts” on operations according to the memo obtained by NBC.
The issue is reportedly due to “several technical problems,” and officials, who spoke to NBC on the condition of anonymity, blamed outdated equipment and outstanding repair issues. It is understood that the problems have persisted for some time.
The camera systems, known as Remote Video Surveillance Systems, have been used since 2011 to “survey large areas without having to commit hundreds of agents in vehicles to perform the same function.”
It is not clear when the cameras stopped working, but according to the internal memo, some 30 per cent are currently inoperable. It is understood that some repairs have been made this month but that there are still over 150 outstanding requests for camera repairs.
The Border Patrol union in Laredo, Texas noted the issue last week, with president Hector Garza writing on Facebook that the union continued to receive “numerous officer safety and border security concerns” from border patrol agents regarding the cameras.
“USBP HQ is aware that many camera towers along the border are inoperable and they are currently ‘working’ on fixing this issue,” Graza said. “The National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 shares your concerns that inoperable camera towers along the border are causing serious Officer Safety and Border Security concerns.
“We hope this issue is resolved soon, as the problem has been ongoing for quite some time! The American Taxpayer has made significant investments in technology along the border, and they expect that this technology is operational.”
Officials told NBC that due to the faulty cameras, there were some areas of the border that are not visible to patrol agents.
According to the memo, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for the upkeep of the cameras, has had issues meeting the demands of Border Patrol, though the issues are not specified. The FAA will send personnel to the southern border to work on the cameras, the memo says.
The Independent has reached out to the FAA for comment.
Despite the issues with the cameras, preliminary figures from the Department of Homeland Security showed that last month, the number of migrants crossing into the US illegally at the southern border had reached the lowest point since the start of president Joe Biden’s administration.
Border Patrol made under 54,000 apprehensions of immigrants attempting to cross, around 2,000 less than the figure of 56,000 that crossed without authorization in July.
