The tower arrived without warning.

At the edge of America, just past the home of Joella Wyatt, a steel pole shot up 120 feet into the air. On top, contractors bolted surveillance equipment to a triangle platform: Four cameras, a blinding spotlight and spindly antennas pointing in every direction.

Suddenly, intricate machinery stood out against the landscape of Champlain, New York, a place where corn reigns the countryside and dense woods hide the nearby divided borders like a secret.

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