Grand Canyon Times

Months of thorough investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) uncovered significant disparities in outbound inspection protocols at U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO), according to a recently released OIG report.

The audit focused on 108 out of 167 land border crossings along the Southwest and northern borders, revealing inconsistencies in inspection frequency, techniques and technology usage. Centralized oversight and a comprehensive outbound inspection program were found to be lacking, leading to these discrepancies, the report said.

The report underscores the fact that without a uniform approach to outbound inspections, there is a noticeable variation in the methods used and the technologies employed across different border crossings. This lack of consistency is attributed to OFO's failure to establish a comprehensive policy for outbound inspections and the absence of clear performance metrics. 

Despite investments in operational and infrastructural enhancements, the decentralized nature of outbound inspection protocols has impeded the establishment of standardized procedures, according to the report.

"While the seizures made by OFO illustrate its effectiveness, the lack of a structured outbound inspection program hampers our ability to curb illegal exports and transnational criminal activities," the report said. The report also highlighted some border crossings have undertaken outbound inspections voluntarily, even though OFO policies do not explicitly require such procedures.

The report highlighted noteworthy seizures made by OFO, detailing instances where officers confiscated a staggering $58 million in currency and seized 2,306 firearms between fiscal years 2018 and 2022. An exemplary case occurred at the Hidalgo International Bridge in Texas, where officers intercepted a vehicle carrying 16,000 rounds of ammunition bound for Mexico May 3, 2022. 

Another significant event unfolded at the Champlain, N.Y., land border crossing Aug. 25, 2022, when CBP officers detained a fugitive attempting to travel to Canada and seized $230,000 in currency, according to the report.

The inconsistencies in inspection practices, as outlined in the report, stem from the absence of a structured program supervised by OFO headquarters. Local field offices and Port of Entry leadership exercise their own discretion in determining the frequency and methods of outbound inspections. 

Addressing these concerns, the OIG has put forth a series of recommendations, the report noted.

The OIG recommends the executive assistant commissioner of CBP's Office of Field Operations conduct a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits associated with outbound inspections. The resulting report should guide the establishment of an office dedicated to outbound inspections, including defining budgetary and staffing requirements, training protocols and program evaluation metrics, the report said. 

The OIG also recommended setting a minimum frequency for outbound inspections and considering additional funding to support these efforts, according to the release.

Furthermore, the OIG suggested the creation and implementation of a comprehensive policy for outbound inspections to standardize procedures and guidelines across all land border crossings. Lastly, the report advised CBP's Office of Field Operations assess infrastructure, technology capabilities and internet connectivity at each border crossing to ensure officers have the necessary resources to conduct inspections efficiently and safely.