Border Patrol to Deploy High-Tech Spotter Plane
The U.S. Border Patrol said Tuesday that it would use an unmanned plane to spot human and drug smugglers along the Mexican border.
The agency will pay $14.1 million for a Predator B plane, including one year of service and maintenance, said agency spokesman Mario Villarreal.
The Predator B will begin patrolling the border next month.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the manufacturer, says it has delivered seven Predator Bs to the U.S. Air Force.
The plane, which can fly more than 30 hours, has infrared sensors that allow it to see in the dark.
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