Korin Anderson

Associate Producer, NGT

Despite the Border Patrol’s amazing arsenal of technology the task to close down a desert is still daunting. Sometimes it feels as if we are getting a rare opportunity to just hang out with a bunch of guys with really cool toys. But these toys are serious equipment for a very serious job. Last night we stayed up with the night shift in the control room in Nogales, Arizona. The room is darkened and a handful of agents watch dozens of TV monitors filling an entire wall. Those screens are connected to hundreds of remote cameras that can turn to almost every inch of the Tucson sector – an area covering over 120 square miles south west of Tucson. All night long Agent Sean watched as GPS coordinates popped up on screen. Each coordinate referenced a “hit” from an underground radar sensor. These are buried in secret locations just north of the US/Mexico border. They are so sensitive that even a coyote walking past can send an alert. Whenever a group of migrants, or worse, drug smugglers passes too close, the Border Patrol knows almost instantly. The control room can track exactly where a group is crossing, but these locations may be deep into the wilderness – so they have a system of cameras that can be remotely controlled. When a sensor reports a hit, agents can turn the nearest camera to the spot to check exactly who might be crossing. Our film crew marveled at the precision of cutting-edge infra-red cameras that can detect a person’s body heat from eight miles away. I found myself holding my breath all night as we watched the computer terminals for another hit. We were able to watch an entire chase and capture play out in black and white from eight miles away. We laughed with the agents when a huge “hit” turned out to be a herd of cows.