SEATTLE (AP) — The federal government’s unmanned drones patrolling the U.S.-Canadian border are venturing into Washington state’s airspace.
In testimony before a U.S. Senate panel this week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said northern border surveillance using unmanned aerial aircraft now expands from North Dakota to eastern Washington.
Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Gina Gray says two 10,000-pounds Predator-B unmanned aircrafts based in Grand Forks, N.D., patrol Washington skies occasionally.
Since 2005, the Department of Homeland Security has deployed a handful of drones around the country, with some based in Arizona, Florida, North Dakota, and Texas — with more planned for the future. Operations out of North Dakota first began in 2011.
