Mexican drug smugglers appear to be one step ahead of law enforcement agencies. Work is on to build a permanent border wall to ensure that unwanted persons do not cross over into the country illegally from Mexico. However, the smugglers are using technology to locate vulnerable areas. They are believed to be using video cameras and small drones to identify vulnerabilities, and the Department of Homeland Security is trying to put a stop to that.
Washington Post reports that instances of unmanned aircraft flying along the Southwest border have gone up and more than three dozen sightings have been recorded since October. This is nearly four times more compared to last year and is a matter of concern. Activities of this nature indicate that the criminal groups are carrying out surveillance to chalk out plans to traffic drugs and other illicit material into the country
Drone is the new utility of drug smugglers
In the opinion of an official of the CBP, the smugglers are trying to gather information on not only the border wall but also on the agents.
They use commercial drones, and their intention is probably to find out the weak spots. The authorities are seized of the problem and are trying to outsmart them through technology. The drones that the smugglers use remain airborne for short durations and operate at very low altitudes, therefore, they are difficult to detect using conventional sensor systems.
Drug traffickers from Mexico have been using aerial routes for a long time. They have used ultralight aircraft like helicopters, single-engine planes or gyrocopters. The pilots take precautions and fly just above the treeline in rugged areas. They do not land but enter the American airspace, drop the consignment and return to base. That way, border agents are unable to detect or track them.
Battle between Border patrol and drug smugglers
According to New Zealand Herald, US President Donald Trump wants to build the border wall to stop infiltration of unauthorized persons. However, the drug smugglers appear to have discarded the land trails and now follow aerial routes. They select remote areas that have natural boundaries like mountain ranges or water bodies and avoid the US-Mexico border wall.
CBP has been trying to zero in on a system that can effectively thwart the designs of criminals who try to send drugs from Mexico into the US. It has spent millions on a suitable detection system and has tried out several options over the years, but has yet to lay hands on the appropriate technology.