Drone aircraft will be used to nab illegal immigrants on California-Mexico border

Predator drones, the unmanned aircraft used by the U.S. military in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones, will soon be employed to track illegal immigrants on the Mexico-California border.

The drone, which will be unveiled later today, will be operated out of the Antelope Valley by the military contractor General Atomics. The drones will fly above the border region with advancing electronic tracking equipment looking for illegal immigrants crossing into California.

According to the San Diego-based company, the drones will transmit information to U.S. authorities on human smuggles as well drug smuggling.

Such drones are already used on the border of Texas and Arizona.

Border Patrol officials told SignOn San Diego that the drone would initially be used to monitor ocean area, which has been used by human smugglers.

-- Shelby Grad

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Comments

[farhan khan]

there is a mistake of spelling on this article.
San Diego spelled as Sam-Diego.

[hairy carrion]

I don't know about this. I don't like human trafficking. I don't like the military using drones either. Very suspicious of this.

And what concerns me is that this isn't a solution to the issue of undocumented aliens coming into the U.S. It's a bandaid applied to a symptom of a much larger issue.

Why can't the "authorities" look toward root causes for working out solutions?
NAFTA created an economic crisis south of the U.S. border. Repeal NAFTA. Start there. Become an economy builder in partnership with the nations we keep pillaging. Stop extorting via the World Bank and other economic jackals.

Oh, I guess that would be too easy and not as much fun as killing poor people with drones...

[NEW WORLD ORDER]

They are employing UAV's on American soil? I wonder how long it will be before these drones are watching and spying on southern California's citizens?

[steve]

Did anything think to spell/grammar check this article?

"with advancing electronic tracking equipment"

"on human smuggles"

Maybe I can write for the LA Times too?

[Mike]

Perhaps this will cut down on smuggling as well as illegal immigration. Here in the midwest we've had our fill of Mexican meth and the crime it brings.

[jack]

hopefully they're outfitted with missiles

[Matt Musgrove]

That's a damn good idea, nice work.

[Dan]

Too bad the drone isn't equipped with armament so that the target(s) could be eliminated as soon as they set foot on US soil.

[Schigolch]

It's about time.

[Harrier]

The problem was never monitoring, but was keeping statistics and arresting them as the current law requires

[ZethByrd]

Big Brother is watching....

[Yes, Good Job!]

Although the process to enter this country legally is bureaucratic and antiquated, it's nonetheless the process everyone else around the world has to follow!

Being so physically close to our borders does not entitle ANYONE to simply jump the line! This country has always welcomed immigrants with open arms...but, if you sneak in illegally, you should be tossed out on your behind--no matter how noble your intentions are for coming here, or how large of a family you've managed to start here before finally being caught...that was your own choice.

[Doc Savage]

Will they be able to deploy air to ground rockets? This would be very effective as a psychological as well as physical deterrent.

[old time ATC pilot]

So, they want to fly unmanned drones over CONUS? Unless the A/C is above FL180, which makes it IFR, how is the drone PIC going to "see & avoid" other A/C when those A/C are VFR? I remember back in the early 2000s, DoD/USAF & EG&G tried using an "unmanned" cockpit on a Janus Air 737 using that BAE/GE/Hazeltine modified autoland system Cat IIIc configured for the Vacant Cabin project. It did not work because of the danger of VFR A/C in the area as well as the passengers did not want to accept the concept of an A/C flying along with NO pilot on board. Unless the airspace is under positive control, this drone system is a mid-air waiting to happen!!!

[Henry]

It's about time. What has taken our authorities so long. Illegal immigration is a threat to this nation-that is why we have a process for people to migrate legally to our country.
All of those who are here illegally should be found and sent back to there countries of origin.
Not on the drug issue. I hope the drones are equipped with IR sensors- this will help greatly at night. This is a dangerous area and the bad guys are heavilt armed. To effectively patrol the California border 2-4 drones should be in the air at all times. If Bush had not committed our troops to Iraq-the National Guard would be the right and effective way to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico, in addition to drones.
Let's secure our border and move on to improving and strengthening America.

[Exador]

Are they going to do fly-overs at Home Depot?

[Patti]

My parents came into the US legally and absolutely hate the situation with illegals. They see the country deliberately refusing to address the situation and the illegals as gang thugs filling up out prisons. While it should be noted it appears, on the average illegals pay out more than what they put in, nobody has bothered to formally track this. When you talk about schools being disruptive and their aren't enough, it should be noted, if you exclude illegal immigration, you will have 30% fewer students and the classroom sizes to where they should be. At minimum we need to make English as the national language...Spend 5% less on military and more on schools and dealing with this problem.

[KK]

I wonder how long before some interest group will stop this practice. We all know Mexicans are not the only ones sneaking across but also the rest from other countries waiting along the US-Mexican border. We cannot solve this problem as long as state and local law allows them to stay.

[dewstarpath]

- This was breaking news - 5 years ago.
The Predator-B was tasked for this when it made
the cover of Popular Mechanics. A similar announce-
ment was on the General Atomics website - in 2004.

[Estoban]

You can just bet some anarchist college professor will be developing a cell phone App that will jam controls on the drones for human and drug smugglers to use.

[nathan]

This might work if we can start the rumor these drones have the ability to fire on any illegals or smugglers they find. Other wise, it will do nothing. The same tactics illegals use now to avoid Border Patrol will work to avoid being caught by the drones.

Wouldn't a bigger crack down on employers, sending out the SSA No Match letters, and mandatory E-Verify have a better effect of removing the incentive for illegals to come to this country?

[larry]

NO KIDDING - IT IS ABOUT TIME OUR COUNTRY STOPS THE BS AND MOVES FORWARD WITH ILLEGAL ALIEN STATUS.
1.
LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH
2.
FIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY
3.
PAY TAXES
4.
OR - GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM

[larry]

November 12, 2009 | 12:02 pm

More than 111,000 illegal immigrants are serving time in state and local prisons and jails in the U.S., Obama administration officials said today

DUH......

[john d]

First off, hairy carrion, put down the crack pipe and step away from the keyboard! KILLING poor people with drones??? These drones have no capability of killing anyone, rich, poor, or otherwise. Next, repeal NAFTA?? NAFTA is what created an "economic crisis south of the border"? You are so obviously deluded that it is laughable. I suppose it created an economic crisis in Canada too, right? The current economic crisis has nothing to do with NAFTA. In fact, the current economic crisis has PREVENTED illegals from crossing the border because there are no construction jobs or similar labor jobs that were primarily filled by illegals.

Next, I love how you use your buzz words - "the authorities look toward root causes for working out solutions". This isn't about those who pass legislation, this about the guy in the trenches getting another tool to help him repel the hordes. And how do you suggest that the USHS monitor the ocean border? By sending USCG vessels out there day and night? Do you know what that costs? And if you think that isn't a priority, don't forget the boat of 21 illegals that were caught in La Jolla last week, just one out of many more that make it through.

My concern is, why don't they fly them out of Brown field? Antelope Valley is pretty far from the action. Put the infrastructure in at Brown and save lots in time and fuel. Put some illegals to work building it, Brown field is only a five minute walk from the Otay border crossing...

[Louweegie272]

It's nice that we are finally doing more to secure the border, but wouldn't
E Verify do a better job of keeping illegal workers from coming here? How about empowering local law enforcement to check on immigration status?
If this were the case, 9/11 might have been prevented as 4 hijackers here illegally were pulled over by local law enforcement and released.