In testimony before a Congressional committee in January 2008, the Border Patrol’s deputy chief, Ronald Colburn, noted that the number of illegal “border penetrations” on the U.S.-Canada border is less than 1 percent of those on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But, he added, “the vastness and remoteness of the area along with the unique socio-economic ties between the United States and Canada,” and severe weather all work to limit the Border Patrol’s effectiveness.More manpower, Mr. Colburn testified, “as well as acquisition and deployment of sensing and monitoring platforms as well as unmanned aerial vehicles will be the key to the Border Patrol’s ability to effectively address the Northern Border threat situation.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Muñoz-Torres addressed any public concern that such high-flying drones would be spying on law-abiding people.

“The use of unmanned aircraft is the same use any other law enforcement aircraft would be performing,” he said.  “The public concerns are the same whether the aircraft are manned or unmanned.  The aircraft’s missions are related to the detection of illicit traffic in both directions along the northern border — drugs, aliens, any type of illicit operation.

“The purpose of the aircraft is to provide surveillance to detect illegal operations,” Mr. Muñoz-Torres said.  “It you’re not doing anything illegal, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

The citizen who drew the Chronicle’s attention to the impending drones does not agree.“I don’t subscribe to the view that if you don’t have anything to hide, you shouldn’t object,” said Francis Douglas, who lives in the border community of North Troy.

“The Constitution may not say anything about drones,” Mr. Douglas said Tuesday, “but we have a long history of saying that men, women and children can come and go as they please; that unless they’ve violated some law they should be free of surveillance, harassment, and any other government intrusion into their lives.”
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