U.S. Begins Patrolling Mexican Border with Drones

Washington, Sep 1. -U.S. drones began patrolling the Mexican border today, in a measure by the White House responding to demands by the opposition, in combination with a migration reform process.

The so-called drones are aircraft that are remote-controlled from land, and will begin operations on Wednesday from a military base in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, explained by telephone conference on Monday that the aircraft would fly over the 3,200 kilometers of the dividing line between her country and Mexico. "This is another major step on the way to border security. The drones are an important tool to ensure our safety", said Napolitano.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be overseen by US Customs and Border Protection, said the official, who spoke of the Obama administration�s commitment to deploy the latest technology for border security.

The same type of drones are being used by the U.S. military to attack targets within Pakistan, aimed at Afghan rebels and their supporters, but hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed.

The UAVs were authorized for the new mission by Congress under the law passed on August 13 which approved US$600 million to reinforce the borders, including the addition of another 1,500 guards.

With the decision that takes effect on Wednesday, surveillance with UAVs will be extended from El Centro (California) to the area of the Gulf of Mexico. (Prensa Latina)