Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

Dev.SN ♥ developers

US Border Patrol Uses Robots to Scour Drug Tunnels

posted by mattie_p on Tuesday February 25 2014, @08:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the what-happens-underground-stays-underground dept.

girlwhowaspluggedout writes:

"The US Border Patrol has a new tool in its battle against the tunnels that are used to smuggle in drugs from Mexico. Since the cartels' diggers operate outside the range of the agency's cameras, motions detectors, and drones, and because filling the tunnels with concrete hasn't stopped the smugglers, the US Border Patrol now regularly employs robots to search through the underground drug trafficking routes.

The Border Patrol operates four remote-controlled robots along the US-Mexico border. Three of the four are assigned to its station in Nogales, Arizona, the final destination for most of the tunnels that have been discovered so far near the southern border. The agency's robots, which include Applied Research Associates' Pointman Tactical Robot and Inuktun Services' Versatrax 300, can easily fit in closed quarters. The tunnel that the Border Patrol shut down last month, for example though it was equipped with electric lighting, ventilation fans, and wood shoring was only 3 feet and high 2 feet wide. It spanned a whopping 481 feet, the largest tunnel discovered in Nogales by the Border Patrol.

The robots' ability to travel through areas where the air is unsafe to breath for extended periods is especially valuable in Nogales, AZ, whose popularity with drug smugglers is due to its sewer system, which is easily accessible from the adjacent city of Heroica Nogales, Mexico."

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
US Border Patrol Uses Robots to Scour Drug Tunnels | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 1000 moderator points   | 36 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by dj245 on Tuesday February 25 2014, @02:26PM

    by dj245 (1530) on Tuesday February 25 2014, @02:26PM (#6803)

    I've been in plenty of "cave tours" and the like, so I'm not "that" claustrophobic, but the thought of moving through an ad-hoc cramped tunnel underground where the quality of workmanship and engineering prowess was in the hands of shady drug dealers just makes me shudder.

    I'm not an international drug smuggler but I would put enough money into my tunnel that it wouldn't collapse. A tunnel like this is a big investment. If the tunnel collapses completely (or near completely), you've lost your entire investment. If it collapses partially, you have to pay for it to be repaired / redug while at the same time missing out on revenue from smuggling. Collapse also carries the risk of detection (may disturb the surface soil) and if someone dies then people will wonder what happened to them and start asking questions. Even if you have great intimidation powers on the Mexican side, all it takes is an anonymous tip to the US authorities and you lose your entire investment and maybe get caught red handed too.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=1, Informative=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Total Score:   3  

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by O3K on Tuesday February 25 2014, @06:51PM

    by O3K (963) on Tuesday February 25 2014, @06:51PM (#6985)

    I hear you - I have no doubts that the drug businessman behind the dug tunnels have vested interests in it remaining open for business. I just doubt I'd feel assured and confident that it was constructed with the utmost competence and know-how. The big bosses damn sure wouldn't be wiggling through this tunnel unless they were in a desperate circumstance, they'd send redshirts through.