Facial comparison biometric tech at Port of San Luis leads to arrest

For the third time this month, a person attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexican border at the Port of San Luis was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after they were discovered to be an imposter by facial biometric technology.

The technology helps agents detect impersonators more quickly than human agents can manage, by comparing photos of inspected individuals. When a mismatch is detected, agents are notified, allowing them to conduct a more thorough secondary inspection to determine the true owner of the questionable identification. The most recent case involved a stolen border crossing card, resulting in the arrest of a 30-year-old man from Mexico’s Guerrero state.

In this case, the subject faces criminal prosecution for using another person’s identity document as their own. Federal officers can charge individuals by complaint, allowing criminal activity to be charged without the inference of guilt.

“This facial comparison technology tool is helping our CBP officers effectively detect violators much faster,” Petra Horne, CBP’s acting director of the Tucson Field Office, said. “The technology is a valuable tool that CBP officers use in determining identity.”