GAO provides update on CBP surveillance technology and program costs

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Monday finding that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made progress in deploying programs under the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan, but more action is needed by the agency.

GAO reported in March 2014 that CBP’s schedules and life-cycle cost estimates for the plan and its three highest-cost programs, which represented more than 97 percent of the plan’s total estimated cost, met some but not all of the best practices. At that time, GAO recommended that CBP ensure that its schedules and cost estimates more fully address the best practices possible, including validating cost estimates with independent estimates.

As of May 2016, GAO found that CBP has initiated or completed deployment of technology for each of the three highest-cost programs under the plan and has updated program schedules and costs.

GAO’s ongoing work on CBP’s use of unmanned aerial systems for border security shows that CBP operates nine Predator B aircraft in U.S. airspace in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Additionally, CBP has deployed six relocatable unmanned buoyant craft tethered to the ground and equipped with cameras for capturing full-motion video – aerostats – along the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas to support border patrol. GAO found that Border Patrol has taken actions to track the contribution of tactical aerostats to its mission activities.