Images captured by the scanners are sent to a remote network of personnel who examine them for anomalies
At the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are using low-energy x-ray scanners to improve vehicle inspections and support broader efforts against smuggling. This advanced technology, introduced over a year ago, has significantly increased the number of vehicles officers can screen each day.
CBP Officer Michael Salvatti explained that the scanners have boosted their daily inspection capacity. “What they actually do is allow us from going and scanning maybe a few hundred vehicles a day, to thousands of vehicles a day,” he said.
The system operates by having vehicles pass through a low-energy x-ray machine designed to be safe for both passengers and officers. “They drive straight through it; the only time they have to stop is before they enter it. There’s a gate that actuates and that’s to prevent the vehicles from building up on each other,” Salvatti said.
Images captured by the scanners are sent to a remote network of personnel who examine them for anomalies. “There’s people in a remote area that are actually viewing these images and scanning them,” he added.
Since deploying the scanners, officers have recorded a noticeable rise in narcotics interdictions. “It’s a game changer,” said Salvatti. “When we first rolled these systems out, we saw an immediate spike in narcotics interdiction.”
CBP plans to expand the use of this technology across the southern border. “They’re going to be deployed southern border wide, so if they don’t have them, they’re going to get them,” Salvatti said.
Despite the impact of these scanners, Salvatti highlighted that they are only one part of CBP’s wider security approach. “There’s no silver bullet in narcotics interdiction, so this is just a layer. And we have multiple layers of enforcement,” he noted.
Looking ahead, the integration of artificial intelligence could further strengthen these efforts. “AI is probably going to change the world as we know it and I’m sure it’s going to be brought to bear in our technology here at the border,” Salvatti said.
The adoption of technology like low-energy scanners marks a shift towards more data-driven, proactive border security while maintaining safe and efficient processing of cross-border traffic.
