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A journalistic investigation revealed that the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a secret mass surveillance program that allows them to track the movements of millions of drivers across the country using hidden cameras, license plate readers, and artificial intelligence algorithms, a tool that could very well be employed for immigration control
The system, originally designed to combat illegal trafficking at the border, has expanded into major cities, where it monitors the routine movements of ordinary citizens.
The investigation was revealed by Associated Press (AP), which detailed that the agency collects data through a network of license plate readers installed on roads, posts, and traffic safety equipment.
These devices capture information from vehicles and process it through an algorithm that determines which ones are deemed "suspicious" based on their routes, destinations, or trip duration.
With that information, federal agents can request local police to stop the flagged vehicles, often without the drivers being aware that they are being monitored.
The system, known internally as Conveyance Monitoring and Predictive Recognition System (CMPRS), was created over a decade ago with the aim of enhancing border control.
However, in recent years, it has evolved into a predictive surveillance model, where movement patterns are recorded and trajectories are analyzed to anticipate potential crimes.
The cameras, some camouflaged in cones or safety barrels, allow agents to track vehicles even more than 150 kilometers from the border.
Former officials interviewed by AP assured that the program has operated with a high level of secrecy.
In some cases, the government would have preferred to drop legal charges rather than reveal the location of its surveillance equipment.
Additionally, the Border Patrol has access to national databases managed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and private companies, which enhances its ability to track vehicles throughout the country.
Although the agency has argued that its program complies with the law and focuses on "disrupting criminal networks," legal experts and civil organizations warn that this practice could violate constitutional rights, particularly the right to privacy and protection against unreasonable searches, emphasized AP.
“Enormous amounts of information are being collected about innocent people, their movements, and their relationships,” noted Nicole Ozer from the Center for Constitutional Democracy at the University of California to the press agency.
The report also indicates that, under the administration of Donald Trump, the agency has received more than 2.7 billion dollars to expand its technological infrastructure, including drones, thermal cameras, and artificial intelligence systems.
With that support, the Border Patrol has extended its reach beyond border areas, transforming into a national surveillance network capable of tracking citizens within U.S. territory.
The revelation has reignited the debate over the limits of federal power and the use of mass surveillance technologies in the name of national security.
Meanwhile, millions of drivers in the United States could be monitored without knowing it every time they hit the road.
The use of technology by federal agencies in the United States has escalated to unprecedented levels.
It was recently revealed that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) invested 1.4 billion dollars in digital surveillance and facial recognition technology, resources that enhance its ability to locate and apprehend immigrants across the country.
Parallely, new policies have allowed ICE to monitor social media 24/7, raising concerns about mass surveillance in digital environments.
Companies like Apple and Google have also been highlighted for their role in these processes after it became known that they yielded to ICE's pressure to share user information, raising concerns among privacy advocates.
The expansion of control goes beyond the digital realm. The government has installed biometric controls at U.S. airports, a measure that enables the identification of passengers through facial scanning, eliminating the need for physical documents.
These actions are part of a broader political framework driven by the Trump administration, which, with its “big and beautiful” bill, allocated billions to enhance border control through technological infrastructure.
Surveillance even extends to civil airspace. Legislation in Florida proposes allowing citizens to use reasonable force against intrusive drones, in response to the increasing number of unmanned devices used for monitoring by both the public and private sectors.
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