A bipartisan duo of senators from northern border states is asking the Trump administration to surge technological resources at both ends of the border, including more unmanned aircraft.
“It is crucial that all U.S. borders are adequately defended,” Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) wrote to Pete Flores, the acting commission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“The U.S. and Canada share the world’s longest demilitarized border, and given the current deployment of CBP personnel and assets to the Southwestern border, the security of our northern border could be especially improved through the appropriate use of technological platforms.”
The letter calls for the “the acquisition and fielding” of a number of systems, from anti-tunneling capabilities to technology backed by artificial intelligence.
“Additionally, to better detect threats, we encourage CBP to increase its utilization of unmanned aircraft as well as radar and sensors technologies and autonomous platforms like aerostats,” they wrote.
The letter also cites the need for better technology at the U.S.-Mexico border as well, referencing the “flow of fentanyl and other drugs across the Southwestern border.”
President Trump has cited fentanyl flows from Canada as part of his rationale for increasing tariffs on the major U.S. trading partners.
However, the vast majority of fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S. at the southern border, most frequently by U.S. citizens at ports of entry.
The Trump administration is already using unmanned aircraft at the southern border, and is reportedly weighing drone strikes against cartels on Mexican soil.
The letter comes as the Trump administration has called for boosting resources for the border in the coming budget.
“The challenges threatening the safety of our nation are complex and ever evolving. That’s why it’s imperative that we adapt to use modern, innovative technology to secure our border and crack down on the flow of fentanyl from Mexico in a bipartisan way,” Shaheen said in a statement.
“Speeding up the deployment of modern technologies for border security is essential to stopping the flow of fentanyl, human trafficking and other emerging threats,” Hoeven added.
“By utilizing tools like unmanned aircraft, anti-tunneling systems, and advanced sensors, we can improve situational awareness, better allocate resources, and strengthen CBP’s ability to secure both the Southern and Northern borders.”
