U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Port of New York/Newark discovered 16 illegal aliens working at a CBP bonded warehouse during an unannounced inspection on Feb. 26 to determine whether imported merchandise was properly secured.
The inspection was conducted in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). The purpose was to ensure the facility was adhering to CBP protocols regarding the importation of cargo into the United States and that employees were lawfully present and permitted to work in the United States. CBP conducts Fraud Investigation Strike Teams operations at facilities that have been identified as being non-compliant or potentially non-compliant, or that have been identified as allowing unauthorized employee access to enter bonded areas or unauthorized manipulations of commercial merchandise within bonded areas.
The 16 illegal workers were turned over to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents.
“This operation underscores HSI’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity of our trade infrastructure and, in turn, the wellbeing of the public at-large,” Ricky J. Patel, ICE HSI special agent in charge, said. “HSI Newark is proud to stand side-by-side with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods and our livelihoods.”