Border securityDiscovery Channel special on protecting U.S. northern border

The Discovery Channel  on Wednesday aired a documentary on DHS, called “Under Siege: America’s Northern Border.” but the show  will be shown several more times in the coming weeks.

The  one-hour special focuses on the northern border of the United States,  which was a  crossing point for some of the terrorists behind the first World Trade Center attack.

Fox News reports that the show follows DHS border agents as they roam the border at night. Computer-edited voices also narrate some of the action scenes, which some critics say  the public should not be allowed to see.

Retired border patrol agent Zack Taylor argues that giving the public access to such information  may not be the best idea. “[It’s] kind of like saying here’s our strengths and everywhere else is a weakness,” Taylor told FOX411.

The show focuses on the most-patrolled areas of the northern border and on  waterways illegal crossers use to make it into the United States. According to executive producer Aengus James, the special does not show anything that people who are attempting to cross already do not already know.

“Make no mistake, criminals are already well aware of all the best places and techniques for crossing the border, and I’m sure a simple Google search can show them many more,” James told FOX411. “If anything, our show will probably decrease the number of people using the spots highlighted in the show because anyone who sees them on TV will likely realize the [Homeland Security] is well aware of these places.”

The show features a scene in which cameras show the monitor wall of the Operational Integration Center, which the narrator calls “Homeland Security’s newest weapon,” adding “This is the first time cameras have been let inside.”

“9/11 changed everything for us,” Border patrol agent Rick Gordon says during the show. “After that event happened it became glaringly obvious that we needed to take some steps to really secure our border.”

Protecting the border is much easier said than done. During the special, the narrator states that every day at the northern border “money, guns and drugs pour across.”

James said the northern border is usually targeted by illegal crossers because of its sheer length. The border spans 5,500 miles and it is a difficult challenge for border patrol agents and U.S. Coast Guard to protect every mile.

“Protecting the northern border is a very different task as it’s so much larger and more diverse than the southern border and up there, there is no wall or fence to keep unwanted visitors or traffickers out,” James said.

James said the show is intended to draw attention to what DHS and border agents do and how they stop illegal crossings. “We hope that our show will help viewers understand the enormity of the task that the DHS is faced with and appreciate what a terrific job they are doing in a situation where the deck is stacked against them,” James told Fox411.