Virtual fence on Mexican border deemed insufficient

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The government will replace its highly touted "virtual fence" on the Arizona-Mexico border with new towers, radars, cameras and computer software.

It's scrapping the brand new 20 million dollar system because it's failing to adequately alert border patrol agents to illegal crossings.

Customs and Border Protection officials acknowledge the program to detect illegal immigrants doesn't work well enough to keep or to continue tweaking.

The fence consists of nine electronic surveillance towers along a 28-mile section of border southwest of Tucson.

Critics say the system is highly flawed, but officials say it's only a demonstration project.

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