The U.S. Border Patrol is operating a massive, secretive surveillance program that uses a nationwide network of license plate readers to monitor millions of American drivers. An algorithm flags vehicles with so-called suspicious travel patterns, leading federal agents to direct local law enforcement to conduct pretextual traffic stops far from the border.
Innocent drivers are pulled over for minor infractions like speeding or having a dangling air freshener, only to be aggressively questioned and searched based on secret intelligence. The program, which has expanded significantly over the past five years, represents the transformation of Customs and Border Protection into a domestic intelligence agency. It leverages data from the DEA, private vendors like Flock Safety, and local police agencies funded by federal grants, all while attempting to conceal its own existence from the public and the courts.
“America: land of the free. Home of the expanding police state. And the "Don’t tread on me" crowd is suddenly silent.” –Alt National Park Service