Border officials are looking to expand a drone surveillance program in California, allowing the remotely piloted aircrafts to cover almost all of the state, according to a story by California Watch.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials expect Federal Aviation Administration authorities will grant the agency permission to expand its unmanned aircraft operations into airspace east of the San Diego area, agency spokeswoman Gina Gray told California Watch.
While the aircrafts have been touted for their cutting-edge technology, some say they are too expensive and inefficient.
The drones cost $18.5 million each to operate.
Since 2005, the drones have helped seize 46,600 pounds of narcotics and caught about 7,500 people committing crimes along the border, California Watch stated.
The aircrafts, which can stay in the air for up to 20 hours, also help in emergency and disaster response missions.
Currently, the drones patrol about 1,200 miles along the Southwest border from east of El Centro in California to the Gulf of Mexico.
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