DRONE DISAPPOINTMENT Audit finds costly border security program ineffective

By Elizabeth Harrington

Published January 07, 2015

Washington Free Beacon

The U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s drone program is ineffective and cost inefficient, states a new inspector general report, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

The program’s 10 drones survey less than 200 miles of the southwest border, and the cost is more than $12,000 for every hour one spends in the air, funding that could be put to better use elsewhere, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.

The audit also found the DHS lacks evidence that drones have contributed to more border apprehensions.

The government has spent $360 million on the program since 2005, and DHS hopes to add 14 more drones at a cost of $443 million. However, the audit also states the agency has not proven the program deserves to be expanded.

“Given the cost of the Unmanned Aircraft System program and its unproven effectiveness, CBP should reconsider its plan to expand the program,” the audit said. “The $443 million that CBP plans to spend on program expansion could be put to better use by investing in alternatives, such as manned aircraft and ground surveillance assets.

The drones, which can fly for 20 hours at a speed of 276 mph, are operating on a small section of the 1,993-mile southwest border, contrary to the government’s claims.

According to the audit, drones only focused on 100 miles of the Arizona border and 70 miles of the Texas border. DHS claimed in their annual report ending in 2014 that they had “expanded unmanned aircraft system coverage to the entire Southwest Border.”

However, CBP drones are sometimes in use elsewhere, including Cocoa Beach, Fla., Grand Forks, N.D., and Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Drones were also responsible for only 1.8 percent of apprehensions in the Tucson, Ariz. region, and a mere 0.7 percent in the Rio Grande Valley.

“According to border patrol agents and intelligence personnel in Arizona, USBP probably would have detected the people using ground-based assets, without the assistance of unmanned aircraft,” the audit said.

To read more, click here: