U.S. increases use of Predator drones on border with Mexico

Unmanned drones are patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border in larger numbers in an effort to crack down on illegal immigrants.

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Oct. 25, 2007

A Predator drone takes off on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection mission from Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The Federal Aviation Administration had been asked to issue flying rights for a range of pilotless planes to carry out civilian and law-enforcement functions but was hesitant to act for safety reasons. Six years later, there are now drones patrolling most of the U.S.-Mexico border, from Yuma, Ariz., to Brownsville, Tex.

Ross D. Franklin / AP

Nov. 30, 2011

A Predator B unmanned aircraft sits in the hangar at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas. The globe on the bottom of the plane holds the cameras that search for illegal activity on the border.

William Booth / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2010

A Predator drone is unveiled at a ceremony to celebrate the authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the aircraft to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border in Corpus Christi, Tex.

Eric Gay / AP

Nov. 30, 2011

A Predator drone sits in a hangar: The bulb carries the camera package; the infrared cameras can see at night; and the level of detail is good enough to easily detect people, but the detail is not fine enough to recognize faces — yet.

William Booth / The Washington Post

Nov. 30, 2011

At the Predator Operations Center at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, the command duty officer coordinates the mission, in this case over the ranch lands of southern Arizona.

William Booth / The Washington Post

Oct. 27, 2011

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Predator drone captures a group of 19 illegal border crossers shown on a video monitor at a command center at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Ross D. Franklin / AP

Nov. 8, 2011

A Predator drone lands after a mission at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas. Using the same technology responsible for lethal strikes elsewhere in the world, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding its use of Predator drones outfitted with powerful infrared cameras and sensitive radar to patrol U.S. borders.

Eric Gay / AP

Nov. 8, 2011

Activities of a Predator drone are monitored at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.

Eric Gay / AP

Nov. 8, 2011

A Predator drone lands after a mission at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.

Eric Gay / AP

Oct. 25, 2007

A Predator drone gets is prepared for takeoff from Fort Huachuca, Ariz., on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection border mission.

Ross D. Franklin / AP

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