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Drones tested patrol us mexico border { October 10 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8444-2003Oct10.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8444-2003Oct10.html Drones Tested to Patrol US-Mexico Border Reuters Friday, October 10, 2003; 1:34 PM MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - The United States is testing pilotless drone aircraft, used in Iraq and Afghanistan, on the U.S.-Mexico border where they might be deployed to detect drug traffickers and illegal immigrants, a government spokesman said on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security is conducting tests of the unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, in remote areas of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Mario Villarreal, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, told Reuters. "The UAVs, which have played an important role for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, are under consideration for use by the Department of Homeland Security," Villarreal said. They are being deployed from Fort Huachuca and Gila Bend, Arizona, for test flights in remote areas of the desert that have become well-known corridors for narcotics trafficking and immigrant smuggling. Drone aircraft were used for aerial photography and spy missions during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are the latest of the military-style hardware and techniques to be used on the 2,000-mile border, where homeland defense has been beefed up since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Agents also use American Eurocopter AS350 "A-Star" helicopters with on-board, satellite tracking systems and infrared, night vision capabilities to track illegal activity. Border patrol officers have recently set up military-style campsites in the wilderness where they live for 30-day periods, while conducting patrols deep into the desert on foot and horseback, Villarreal said. "They are basically camping out in an operation that shows what lengths the border patrol will go to protect their homeland. They are away from their friends and family," he said. Villarreal said no decision has been made on whether the government will ultimately use the drones for surveillance. © 2003 Reuters

Bush authorized drone Cia kills in yemen Cia kills us citizen Clean shot Considers drone patrols Drones ohio traffic applications { May 26 2003 } Drones on coast { December 13 2002 } Drones tested patrol us mexico border { October 10 2003 } More predator use { November 29 2002 } Files Listed: 9

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