30% of U.S. border cameras are broken, according to a memo

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Nearly one-third of the cameras in the Border Patrol's primary surveillance system along the southern U.S. border are not working, according to an internal agency memo sent in early October.

The memo says the outages are depriving border agents of a crucial tool in combating illegal migrant crossings.

The large-scale outage affects roughly 150 of the 500 cameras perched on surveillance towers along the border.

In addition, the Border Patrol memo blames a different federal agency for the problem: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA services the systems and repairs the cameras, but they have had internal problems meeting the needs of the Border Patrol, the memo says.

According to the memo, the FAA will send personnel to the southern border to work on the cameras, but Border Patrol leaders are considering replacing the FAA with a contractor that can provide "adequate technical support for the cameras."

An FAA spokesperson declined to comment.