Highlights
– DHS will implement and test an upgraded version of “Project 28”
– Suspected terrorists have considered the feasibility of infiltrating the homeland via the border in the past
– Smuggling rings will present a long-term challenge for national security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced it will replace and upgrade “Project 28,” a prototype virtual surveillance system set up along the Arizona border with Mexico. The project is part of Secure Border Initiative’s SBINet, a larger plan to set up similar equipment along the entire Mexican and Canadian borders.
The Project 28 system is up and running and has helped catch approximately 3,000 illegal migrants crossing the border, yet it has been plagued by technical difficulties. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Common Operating Picture imagery technology does not transmit images of detected movement in real time and the cameras often mistake environmental elements such as rain, and sometimes plants swaying in the wind, as border crossers.
Effective suppression of the flow of illegal aliens across the southern and northern border will rely on a multifaceted strategy. Customs Border Patrol has increased the number of trained agents to 15,000 agents in 2007 and is planning to have more than 18,300 trained by the end of 2008 (Previous Report). Additionally, to date, 309 miles of fencing along the Mexico border has already been built.
While increases in border personnel and traditional fencing remains a vital part of the strategy, perfecting the technology for SBINet could allow DHS to effectively cover more territory and conserve border resources for the much larger and open northern border with Canada.
“Tucson 1”
In the aftermath of the April 2008 announcement halting “Project 28,” DHS has begun to move forward, hiring a contractor to develop the surveillance equipment for a new project, called “Tucson 1.” While “Project 28” utilizes nine temporary mobile towers, “Tucson 1” will consist of 15 permanently installed radar towers that include upgraded equipment to produce a more capable Common Operating Picture. DHS originally had hoped to construct 100 miles of virtual fencing in Arizona and Texas by the end of this year, however DHS has stated this will not likely be fulfilled until 2011.
Extremist Elements Crossing the Southern Border
According to US intelligence officials, no known trained al-Qaeda operatives have attempted to cross the southern border. However, reports indicate that terrorist and insurgent networks have considered attempts to penetrate the southern border in the past.
• In 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued an advisory warning stating that 60 Afghan and Iraqi extremists were planning to be smuggled through underground tunnels from Mexico to attack Fort Huachuca in Arizona (Previous Report)
• In 2007, the FBI uncovered a human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, New Mexico. Allegedly, the ring was smuggling people from countries in the Middle East, specifically Iraq, into the US (Previous Report)
• Officials claim al-Qaeda central leadership had allegedly looked at the possibility of infiltrating the southern border in 2004 (Source)
• Hezbollah sympathizers and fundraisers have also been seized while trying to cross from the south (Previous Report)
Smuggling Rings: A Long-Term Challenge
Although no al-Qaeda operatives are known to have infiltrated the US from the south, terrorist infiltration remains a serious concern given the high number of illegal immigrants that enter the US yearly. To defeat this threat, a sufficient number of border personnel and a robust high tech surveillance system are essential.
