Border
Three national security-related bills authored by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives.
The first bill, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act, aims to improve information sharing practices between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)... Read More »
After the implementation of New Hampshire House Bill 1298 earlier this month, U.S. Border Patrol officers stationed in Coos County now have state police authority after a training period.
The bill now gives Border Patrol agents the authority to provide immediate assistance to a person who has... Read More »
According to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) should evaluate the procedures used by the agency’s National Targeting Center (NTC) to determine its overall effectiveness at keeping high-risk travelers off of United... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents last week seized more than $2 million worth of illicit narcotics over separate incidents.
The first incident occurred on Jan. 18 as officers stationed at the Port of Hidalgo, Texas, encountered a white 2012 Ford Mustang driven by a 27-year-old U.S.... Read More »
In response to continued illegal border crossings through Otay Mountain near San Diego, the U.S. Border Patrol in October launched an enforcement strategy, called Task Force Otay, which focused criminal organizations that exploit various human smuggling routes along the mountain.
Since the task... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Predator B returned to San Angelo Regional Airport for a 14-week deployment on Jan 17.
The first UAS deployment at a civilian airport occurred in Jan. and Feb. 2016 for a four-week... Read More »
Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the Border Security Technology Accountability Act this week, which seeks to improve the management of new border technology acquisitions.
The bill originally advanced through the House of Representatives in July 2015, and... Read More »
Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-FL) recently reintroduced the Finish the Fence Act, which would amend the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to complete a 700-mile border fence between the United States and Mexico by Dec. 31, 2017.... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in conjunction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported a record number of seizures of shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights throughout FY2016.
The agencies reported a nine percent increase in total... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on U.S. Border Patrol’s Consequence Delivery System (CDS), a process that identifies what practices are most effective and efficient to deter illegal border activity, and how useful the system is for assessing department... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at the Port of Nogales in Arizona arrested a 21-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on Jan. 9 for attempting to smuggle a large weapons cache into Mexico through the port.
During routine outbound operations, officers selected the... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently opened a new general aviation processing facility for the PAZOS Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
CBP said the new general aviation facility (GAF) was built in compliance with... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Deming Station in New Mexico recently apprehended a Mexican national who is wanted by Mexican authorities on homicide charges.
The incident occurred on Jan. 3 as border agents spotted several individuals entering the United States through camera... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Laredo Sector and Rio Grande Valley Sector recently cooperated in the rescue of 44 undocumented immigrants from a South Texas stash house.
After receiving a tip that undocumented migrants were being housed in a home south of Donna, Texas, Border Patrol agents... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stationed at the Port of Nogales apprehended two individuals over separate incidents attempting to smuggle a combined 32 pounds of methamphetamine and heroin, worth approximately $224,000, through the port on Dec. 23.
While conducting routine sweeps... Read More »
With the recent release of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FY 2016 statistics report, DHS immigration enforcement efforts showed an increase in prioritizing apprehension of convicted criminals and threats to public safety.
DHS saw a 19 percent increase in arrests compared to the... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed in the Del Rio Sector recently seized more than 1,000 pounds of illicit narcotics over a series of eight separate incidents.
The total street value of the confiscated drugs was approximately $990,000.
The first incident occurred on Nov. 18, when agents with... Read More »
The U.S. Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector Foreign Operations Branch (FOB), along with binational partners from the Mexican Attorney General Attaché’s Office (PGR) in El Paso, recently announced the conviction of Santos Villalva Celedonio for human trafficking of migrants.
The case was carried... Read More »
El Paso Border Sector Patrol Agents assigned to the Forward Operating Base Bounds in Lordsburg, New Mexico rescued a group of undocumented migrants last week after they were abandoned during freezing weather conditions.
The migrants, consisting of six adults and twelve children, told the... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recently launched a campaign to raise awareness about the problems with border corruption so that citizens and government employees who see misconduct or suspicious activity can report... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, recently awarded a series of contracts for various technology initiatives related to border security.
DHS first awarded $162,302 to Tamr, a Cambridge,... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seized more than 13 pounds of narcotics concealed within everyday objects in unrelated incidents earlier this week.
The first event began as agents with CBP’s Office of Field Operations working at the Columbus port of entry recommended a 2000... Read More »
The U.S. Border Patrol recently launched a new initiative called Se Busca Información, which will seek to expand on consequences against dangerous smugglers operating in the Del Rio Border Sector.
The initiative will focus on obtaining information from the public in order to locate smugglers.... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists at Port Huron recently discovered remnants of a khapra beetle, an insect designated for a high-risk of pest infection, in a cargo shipment of split and washed beans from India at the Blue Water Bridge.
After a brief examination,... Read More »
President Barack Obama signed last week the Northern Border Security Review Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and aims to assess and strengthen security at the U.S. border with Canada.
The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently held a command ceremony to swear in Robert White as director of field operations (DFO) for CBP’s Chicago Field Office.
White replaces DFO William Ferrara, who recently transferred to CBP’s Boston Field Office.
From 2015 to 2016, White... Read More »
The U.S. Senate passed this week the Promoting Travel, Commerce and National Security Act of 2016. The bill will allow travelers to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspections prior to traveling to reduce overall wait times and aid in identifying individuals who represent a threat... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently began posting notices at airports to inform travelers that the agency will begin enforcing REAL ID requirements at airport security checkpoints beginning in Jan. 2018.
The REAL ID program stipulates that any traveler suing their... Read More »
Agents with the Yuma Sector Border Patrol recently apprehended multiple individuals over separate incidents in connection with cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana trafficking.
On Dec. 10, Blythe Station agents seized more than 30 pounds of cocaine and 15 pounds of methamphetamine, which... Read More »
President-elect Donald J. Trump recently selected General John Kelly as his nomination for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
While serving as Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Kelly oversaw U.S. military operations in Central and South America as well as the... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently opened a temporary holding facility near the Donna-Rio International Bridge as a response to the recent surge in unaccompanied migrant children and family units arriving in South Texas.
The facility is located approximately 16 miles east of... Read More »
Multiple provisions introduced by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) were included in the recently passed FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). They included full funding for two aircraft at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the A-10 and EC-130H Compass Call, and stronger retention and... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives voted last week on the the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions introduced by U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) to strengthen border security measures.
Thompson’s inclusions addressed Customs and Border Protection’s... Read More »
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to immigration checkpoints recently discovered five Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States over two separate incidents on Nov. 22.
The first incident began when agents stopped a 2009 Hyundai sedan for routine questioning at an... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers apprehended a double homicide suspect at the San Ysidro PedWest crossing in San Diego this week.
Pete Flores, the director of field operations for CBP in San Diego said, "CBP officers perform the crucial job of inspecting every person that enters... Read More »
