U.S. drones to watch entire Mexico border from Sept 1

PHOENIX, Aug. 30, 2010 (Reuters) — The U.S. government will have unmanned surveillance aircraft monitoring the whole southwest border with Mexico from September 1, as it ramps up border security in this election year, a top official said on Monday.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection's first MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle to be stationed along the northern border of the United States lands at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

Source: www.newsdaily.com...


I don't think it is such a bad idea concidering how intense things are getting in Mexico due to this said "Drug War".


edit to repair text.


[edit on 31-8-2010 by NeutronAvenger]

I wonder if the UAVs will be used more as an "observe and send Border Patrol" or a "fire missles on any gun/drug runners"..... I doubt our Fed. Govt. would risk the chance of killing innocents but honestly I wouldn't put it past them. This should shape up to be an INTERESTING election year.

Originally posted by ElijahWan
..... I doubt our Fed. Govt. would risk the chance of killing innocents but honestly I wouldn't put it past them.

Heheheheheh...Okay...

But seriously I would think that the UAVs would be strictly used for tracking and monitoring the "enemy" on the ground and relay that info to security forces to use the force they deem necessary.

Originally posted by ElijahWan
I wonder if the UAVs will be used more as an "observe and send Border Patrol" or a "fire missles on any gun/drug runners"..... I doubt our Fed. Govt. would risk the chance of killing innocents but honestly I wouldn't put it past them. This should shape up to be an INTERESTING election year.

They are already doing that on the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan. What makes you think they would worry about Mexican civilians any more than Pakistanis?

Never mind. I think I know the answer. Its too close to home and you have millions of Latinos in the US who would protest. Then again, you have some very frustrated landowners on the border who would probably push for just such a use of these drones.

reply to post by wayno


Where is your proof? Don't make false claims when all you have is nothing to back that up.... We don't just fire on people we think are innocent... UAV strikes come from credible intel or the obvious, like someone walking around with an RPG or mortar/artillery equipment.... We aren't just like, "ohh look there is someone crossing the border, let's jack him up and waste a load of money by firing one of our expensive missiles at him" Come on now.....

[edit on 2-9-2010 by Reign02]

Originally posted by NeutronAvenger

PHOENIX, Aug. 30, 2010 (Reuters) — The U.S. government will have unmanned surveillance aircraft monitoring the whole southwest border with Mexico from September 1, as it ramps up border security in this election year, a top official said on Monday.

I bolded the part that stuck out to me.

Nothing but a dog & pony show

reply to post by Reign02

We don't just fire on people we think are innocent...

Of course not. I didn't say you intentionally target innocents. On the other hand a certain amount of "collateral damage" has always been seen as acceptable; even when your guys weren't really sure. How many buildings have you blown up, killing everybody in them (children too) because you thought there happened to be some insurgents there too?

It is the same thing basically. You see some people running the border through the remote viewing system of the drone. They might be illegal immigrants or they might be drug runners. No ground help is around. Take the expedient route and wipe them out. No one is around to see.

Its not that much of a stretch.

Originally posted by wayno
They are already doing that on the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan. What makes you think they would worry about Mexican civilians any more than Pakistanis?

Never mind. I think I know the answer. Its too close to home and you have millions of Latinos in the US who would protest.

Yup. Pakistan is in another world that we only see on TV. We can just hop down to Mexico and buy Corona and penicillin. It's more real to us.

drones from DARPA will be smaller ,cheaper, almost invisible,
with a swarm consciousness. like a hummingbird..
it could be weaponized or deliver a load of tranquilizer.

Janet Napolitano announced today that the Unmanned Aerial System, or UAS, will begin its initial flight out of Corpus Christi and fill in the gaps left by drones that only patrol from California to West Texas.

www.texastribune.org...

Does anybody have a problem with the drones being flown from out of Corpus Christi rather than a border city?

Hey it's the least big sis could do since she authorized 1/100th the requested amount of troops. I say it's a good thing and we'll see how it plays out. I feel sorry for the folks who feel the need to cross the border illegally for whatever reason but that doesn't make it right or just.

Anti-drone drones will take them out. Then the border patrol will send out the anti-anti-drone drones which will be taken out by the anti-anti-anti drone drone drones.

actually troops of boy scouts could patrol the borders and ports..
merit badges for every bad guy dealt with.
free x box games..
homeland brigade!