Border Patrol Goes High Tech

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 24, 2009 -- An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the US today entered by crossing the US-Mexico border – the close-to-2000-mile stretch of land that extends from California into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Coupled with drug trafficking, illegal immigration has been a serious problem for decades. In an attempt to reduce unlawful access, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency in 2006 began implementing the secure Border Initiative (SBInet), a high-tech, multibillion-dollar protection plan to guard the US’ borders with Mexico and Canada.

This year, DHS has accelerated plans to build a “virtual fenceâ€