# The U.S. Department of Defense is considering expanding its use of autonomous surveillance boats along the Rio Grande and in the Gulf of Mexico. The solar-powered, canoe-sized vessels have been used since January to detect and deter migrant crossings and drug trafficking. The current fleet has 10 boats, but officials want to add as many as 50 to reduce pressure on Coast Guard crews and aircraft. The drones can operate for months and use cameras, heat sensors and sonar to track activity, and have helped with hundreds of detections and apprehensions each month.
Pentagon considers expanding canoe-sized surveillance drones