Hidden license plate readers along California border reveal expansive surveillance network
By
By Wendy Fry and Khari Johnson
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
An investigative report by The Markup (now part of CalMatters) reveals how a California resident, James Cordero, discovered an abandoned trailer containing a hidden camera that feeds into a vast surveillance network of license plate readers along the California-Mexico border. The network, operated by Border Patrol, logs every driver passing through remote areas. Southern California residents are increasingly noticing these devices and reporting confusing encounters with agents, raising concerns about privacy, surveillance overreach, and the expanding scope of border enforcement far from the actual border.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledOn a cracked two-lane road on the eastern edge of San Diego County, James Cordero eased his Jeep onto the shoulder after something caught his eye. It looked like an abandoned trailer.
Inside he found a hidden camera feeding a vast surveillance network that logs the license plate of every driver passing through this stretch of remote
Southern California residents are noticing new license plate readers that appear to be operated by the Border Patrol. Some have had confusing encounters with agents.
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