San Clemente faces questions over border surveillance tower

San Juan Capistrano Councilmember Sergio Farias is calling for more transparency after San Clemente approved a U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance tower on city-owned land, Voice of OC reported.

The dispute centers on local oversight of a $1 million federal surveillance system planned for the Avenida Salvador Reservoir, a public site in a coastal Orange County city.

The San Clemente City Council voted 3-1, with one abstention, to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to place the system on city-owned land, according to Voice of OC. The agreement followed months of talks between city staff and the federal agency.

The equipment is planned for the Avenida Salvador Reservoir and includes radar, cameras, sensors and communications gear, Voice of OC reported. CBP would operate the tower and control the footage it gathers.

CBP says the system is intended to watch the coastline for vessels suspected of human smuggling, according to Voice of OC. The agency said it could not accept language that would specifically bar surveillance of residential areas because suspected smuggling activity could move onto land.

Farias, a San Juan Capistrano city councilmember, former mayor and candidate for Assembly District 74, argued that the agreement gives San Clemente limited control over a powerful surveillance system on public property, Voice of OC reported.

The council vote occurred in January, according to Voice of OC. The debate has continued as local officials and residents weigh public safety goals against questions about accountability and oversight.

For San Clemente, the question is whether a federal public-safety tool on city land can operate with enough local transparency to satisfy residents.