Mexican armed forces spend dozens of millions in new technology to combat cartels

The Mexican authorities are about to conclude Centinel Tower (Sentinel Tower) A high-tech command center that improved the improvement of the law enforcement authorities in Ciudad Juárez and throughout the state of Chihuahua, in which several drug cartels are active. A helipad is already available on the 21st floor of the tower, whereby all lower levels are almost ready for operation.

According to the Chihuahua authorities, the tower is part of an investment of 84 million US dollars, which includes progressive surveillance infrastructure: facial recognition systems, Bluetooth scanner, readers of number plates and over 4,000 mobile radio cameras

The tower will be the highest in the El Paso-Juárez region, with a degree of 73%, as the border report explains. “This tower will be our command center,” said Gilberto Loya, Director of Chihuahua's public security, during a recent press tour. “While we build this platform, we also install arches (with security technology) via any large motorway that comes in and from the state and its 13 largest cities.”

According to the authorities, the technology has already achieved concrete results. “This is the result of the use of technology so that the police can react with greater efficiency and more information,” said Luis Aguirre, chief of staff at Chihuahua. Monitoring data is used to save the kidnapping victims and create legal cases against perpetrators.

The tower is the core of the Sentinel platformA broader surveillance network that includes 13 large communities and includes over 2,700 intelligent surveillance points. According to the authorities, the system is 88% complete and already includes over 4,400 PTZ cameras (Pan-Tiltt zoom).

The initiative was recognized internationally at the beginning of this month when the Chihuahua security authority at the World Police Summit in Dubai received the “Best Implementation of Artificial Secret Services in Police Work”, as El Diario MX emphasizes. “This award positions us as the first police institution in Mexico, which was recognized by the Emirati police,” says an official statement by the agency.

The tower strategically located, offers visibility over a large part of Ciudad Juárez and parts of El Paso, Texas. Officials said that the facility was finally linked to the 911 system from El Paso in order to enable cross-border emergency coordination if US citizens report crimes in Juárez.