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US Border Surveillance: Billions Invested, Deaths Unaddressed by CBP's Virtual Wall
Despite a multi-billion dollar investment in AI-powered surveillance towers, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) faces scrutiny over its effectiveness in preventing deaths near the border. An investigation reveals systemic failures in both…
Surveillance Failures Amid Rising Fatalities
An Anduril spokesperson stated that once a surveillance tower is deployed, CBP assumes operational control. This response directed inquiries about specific incidents to the agency, noting that a nearby incident does not confirm a missed detection by the tower. The spokesperson indicated that surveillance ranges vary based on terrain, obstructions, and virtual boundaries set by CBP for privacy or other reasons. Anduril also alleged reporting inaccuracies due to these factors but did not elaborate on follow-up questions.
The central issue in border-related deaths near the virtual wall is whether authorities detect individuals but fail to intercede, or if they remain unaware of crossings. Both scenarios represent systemic breakdowns. The reported deaths capture only instances leaving a trace, leaving the number of undetected passages or undiscovered bodies unknown.
Interviews with over 45 individuals, including former White House advisors, Border Patrol agents, medical examiners, sheriffs, humanitarian volunteers, and tech company employees, confirm both failure types: technology missing detections and agents failing to respond. This pattern demonstrates the limitations of applying technology to complex problems without addressing underlying issues.
Program Expansion Amid Lack of Oversight
The investigation uncovered previously unreported deficiencies within the virtual wall system, even as it maintains significant political backing and receives increased federal funding. Proponents view the system as a tool to interdict drug and human smuggling, or as a more economical alternative to physical barriers. In 2023, the government projected the 803 existing towers would cost 6.2 billion USD over their operational lifespan. With historic funding levels secured in 2025, CBP plans to allocate 1 billion USD to add 1,497 more towers by 2034.
However, the reporting indicates CBP has conducted minimal assessment of tower performance or the number of fatalities occurring in monitored areas.
Officials who supervised border security across four prior presidential administrations claimed deaths near the virtual wall were either extremely rare or nonexistent. The investigation contradicts this view, noting that no comparable government analysis exists. Former agents and officials also reported that when a body is discovered, CBP does not formally investigate whether surveillance should have detected the individual or why agents did not intervene.
Hilton Beckham, CBP’s assistant commissioner for public affairs, responded to nearly 30 questions about the findings by stating that autonomous surveillance towers utilize artificial intelligence to identify people, vehicles, and animals, alerting Border Patrol agents to activity. Beckham added that ASTs supplement physical barriers and other security infrastructure by enhancing detection and situational awareness. CBP evaluates the technology based on its impact on detection, response coordination, agent safety, and mission outcomes.
Geoff Boyce, an assistant professor of geography at University College Dublin specializing in US southern border surveillance, acknowledges that cameras and other surveillance assets likely provide useful intelligence and enhance operational efficacy in specific locations and conditions. However, Boyce also expressed certainty that the technology does not deliver the level of operational support, information, or efficacy claimed by either the deploying companies or the Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security, citing historical track records.
Lawmakers from both parties received a summary of the findings. Representative Delia Ramirez, a Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, asserted that AI-powered surveillance technologies do not improve safety. She criticized DHS for continuing to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on these ineffective technologies without committing to oversight or transparency, advocating for the termination of CBP’s Integrated Surveillance Tower program and the dismantling of DHS.
The Virtual Wall's Inception
Since its earliest attempts to manage the Mexico border, the US government has consistently faced the challenge of achieving effective security.
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