re: "Drug Cartels Have No Fear Of CBP"

The blogger-formerly-known-as-Federal-Agent-86 at Federale ("That Is The Sound Of Inevitability") examined a vulnerability in our border security.

Money quote(s):

"A top Mexican drug cartel leader was recently busted by the Port Isabel Police Department, a small town, population 5,000, agency on the Texas gulf coast near the party town of South Padre Island.

Rafael Vela, who is also the nephew of a former cartel leader, apparently entered the United States by the simple expedient of using someone else's passport."

That happens.

What should also happen is that if the passport holder has a current U.S. visa, there should be a biometric record (photographic and fingerprint) on electronic file from the time of their visa interview.

"CBP uses US VISIT, the biometric system for aliens who apply for visas, apply to enter the United States and who are arrested by DHS. Except that CBP, because of pressure from the Mexican government, illegal alien advocates, border merchants,Texas politicians, and drug cartels, does not use US VISIT at land Ports-of-Entry, e.g. land border entries. If US VISIT had been in use at the port where Vela entered, he would not have been arrested by an overworked small town police department, but by CBP itself. But CBP is not interested in doing its job of stopping drug dealers and terrorists, it is more interested in fostering cross-border commerce and enabling the Regime's Administrative Amnesty"

US VISIT works. But you have to actually be using it for it to work.

10/26

WRGZ - Homeland Security Secretary Publicizing Passport Alternatives

From my archive of press clippings:

WRGZ

Homeland Security Secretary Publicizing Passport Alternatives

By BRIAN TUMULTY Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano agreed Wednesday to a request from Sen. Chuck Schumer to work with Canadian officials in publicizing options for people who want to cross the U.S.-Canada border but don't want to pay for a passport.
"We have seen a precipitous drop-off in border crossings,'' Schumer told Napolitano at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Visits to the U.S. by Canadians have dropped since June 1, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative began requiring new documentation for cross-border land travel."

"First-time passports cost $100 for applicants 16 or older, and $85 for children, making a visit to Canada expensive for many Americans even before they put gas in their car."

&

"The Buffalo field office of Customs and Border Protection reports travel fell 8.2 percent from June 1 to July 30 last year compared to the same period in 2007. This year, the decline was 13.3 percent drop over that same period."

_____
Gannett ContentOne - Washington, D.C.

ID - VWP: Further Guidance and Talking Points on Ending the E-Passport Exemption for Emergency and Temporary Passports

From my archive of press clippings:

Immigration Daily

VWP: Further Guidance and Talking Points on Ending the E-Passport Exemption for Emergency and Temporary Passports

Reference Document: STATE 058117, 06/09

TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS

1. Summary. This cable was coordinated with DHS. Reftel A announced the end of the validity of non-electronic emergency and temporary passports for travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Paragraph 2 gives talking points regarding VWP-compliant passport requirements for use with host governments. The Department will forward via email a copy of the CBP information sheet for travelers to all VWP posts and any other posts that request them. End Summary.

2. Talking Points for use with Host Governments of pre-2008 VWP countries (NOTE: Nationals of countries admitted to the VWP in 2008 have been required since their admission to travel on e-passports, regardless of the passport type - regular, emergency, or temporary):
-- The various laws governing the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) require that travel to the United States under the VWP must be with an electronic passport (e-passport) if that passport was issued on/after October 26, 2006.

-- The law does not provide an exception for temporary and emergency passports. Therefore, effective July 1, 2009, all emergency or temporary passports must be e-Passports to be eligible for travel to the United States, including transit through the United States, under the VWP.

-- The USG does not wish to inhibit legitimate emergency travel for those who are not able to acquire an e-passport before their travel.
-- Travelers who must travel on non-electronic emergency or temporary passports should make every attempt to obtain a U.S. Visa. U.S. Embassies and Consulates will accommodate emergency visa applications to the extent possible.

-- Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at U.S. ports of entry have the authority to grant discretionary waivers of the e-passport requirement to those VWP travelers who are determined to be otherwise admissible and who truly are traveling in emergency circumstances or are legitimately unable to obtain an electronic passport or a U.S. visa.

-- CBP also intends to exercise discretion with respect to any fines levied on air carriers for boarding travelers with non-electronic emergency or temporary passports. Guidance to this effect has already been sent to the air carriers by CBP.

-- Emergency or temporary passports that are e-passports will not be affected.

-- Any passport -- emergency, temporary, or regular -- issued before October 26, 2006, by a country that had joined the VWP before 2008 must meet the VWP passport requirements in place at the time the passport was issued. Those requirements are not affected by this change. See travel.state.gov or www.cbp.gov for the requirements.

-- Travelers already in the United States on July 1, 2009, on a non-electronic emergency or temporary passport will not face any difficulties departing the country.

3. Please contact [redacted] CA/FO/F/P, if you have further questions.

TDJ - Tips for US-Canadian border travelers during summer holidays

From my archive of press clippings:

The Daily Journal

Tips for US-Canadian border travelers during summer holidays


Submitted by Journal Staff on July 1, 2009 - 9:51am.

Steps travelers can employ to cross the border more efficiently

CBP Staff Report

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reminding both Americans and Canadians planning their holiday travel for Canada Day, Fourth of July and summer vacation season that there are a number of steps they can employ to cross the border more efficiently.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was implemented on June 1 and requires U.S. and Canadian citizens age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. WHTI acceptable documents include a passport, U. S. passport card, enhanced driver’s licenses (EDLs) — now produced by the State of Washington and Providence of British Columbia — or a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST). For more information, visit www.GetYouHome.gov. "

TW - Full implementation of ESTA delayed

Travel Weekly

Full implementation of ESTA delayed

(20 May 2009)

Full implementation of the US Customs and Border Protection ESTA Visa Waiver Programme has been delayed by up to a year to allow airlines and the public more time to comply with the scheme.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The flagship security project - the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) - is an online version of the I-94 Green Card, which is currently completed by passengers on inbound flights.

ESTA went live in January as planned, but all travellers from the 35 visa waiver countries are still required to fill in the I-94 for the time being."

_____


By Matthew Hampton reporting from Pow Wow in Miami

DNT - Returning from Canada gets tougher June 1. Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection say they will be ready on June 1...

Duluth News Tribune

Returning from Canada gets tougher June 1. Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection say they will be ready on June 1, the day the United States fully implements the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Published May 12 2009

By: Peter Passi, Duluth News Tribune

As of June 1, you’d better pack a U.S. passport or passport card if you’re planning a trip to Canada.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The new border rules originally had been scheduled to take effect in January 2008, but they were delayed to give people more time to come into compliance.
Don’t count on a second reprieve."

"Anyone who has travel plans to Canada in the early part of June and who hasn’t already applied for proper documentation could face problems. Obtaining a passport currently requires four to six weeks of lead time. Expedited service is available for a charge, but even this option currently takes two to three weeks."

"A U.S. passport costs $100, is good for 10 years and allows the bearer to travel by land, water or air.

The newly created passport card costs $45 and remains valid for 10 years, but is good only for ground travel."

&

"The harder part could be for U.S. citizens lacking proper passport or passport cards to return home from Canada."

_____

On the Web: www.getyouhome.gov.

USA-T - It's time to prepare for new border crossing rules

From my archive of press clippings:

USA Today

It's time to prepare for new border crossing rules

By Bill McGee, special for USA TODAY

All borders are created equal. It may sound overly simplistic to point this out, but every day Americans who would never forget to bring proper documentation when traveling outside the country on a commercial airline flight or cruise ship attempt to drive or walk from Canada or Mexico without making the same provisions.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"And starting on June 1, visiting some of our closest neighbors—including Bermuda and most Caribbean countries, as well as Canada and Mexico—will become much more complex with the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. In fact, if you haven't applied for a passport yet, it may be time you give it serious thought."

"The new rules that kick in on June 1 will affect travel from 19 countries in all (see box at left), and many are nations that millions of Americans have been traveling to and from for years without carrying valid passports. But two months from now, new rules mandate that "most" U.S. citizens entering the country by land, sea, or air must establish both identity and citizenship and therefore must possess one of the following:
• passport
• passport card
• other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security
Those "other travel documents" include Lawful Permanent Resident Cards; certain Native American tribe member cards; North American trusted traveler program cards, such as NEXUS (Northern Border program), SENTRI (Southern Border program), or FAST (Free and Secure Trade program); military ID with official travel orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner Documents; or enhanced driver's licenses (EDLs). Currently, four border states—Arizona, New York, Vermont, and Washington—have announced EDL programs, which issue driver's licenses imbedded with security chips that will expedite crossings. "

&

" NEVER give attitude to federal employees. Whether they represent Customs and Border Protection, Immigration, Agriculture, or any of the other agencies you may encounter at a border crossing, these folks should command the same respect as when you're trapped behind those heavy doors at an international airport's arrivals hall. (And consider for a moment how angry you'd be if they allowed a terrorist into the United States through a "side door" such as Canada or Mexico.)"

_____

Bill McGee, a contributing editor to Consumer Reports and the former editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, is an FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher who worked in airline operations and management for several years. Tell him what you think of his latest column by sending him an e-mail at USATODAY.com at travel@usatoday. Include your name, hometown and daytime phone number, and he may use your feedback in a future column.

LAT - LAX worker gets 3 years for immigrant smuggling

From my archive of press clippings:

Los Angeles Times

LAX worker gets 3 years for immigrant smuggling


Longtime elevator mechanic Roberto Amaya Canchola, 54, was caught on surveillance video guiding passengers from Mexico to bypass federal inspectors. He admits receiving payment.


By Anna Gorman

February 25, 2009

A longtime elevator mechanic at Los Angeles International Airport was sentenced this week to three years in federal prison for smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States.

Roberto Amaya Canchola, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of bringing in an illegal immigrant for financial gain. The North Hills resident admitted smuggling in five foreign nationals Aug. 9 after they had arrived from Mexico. He admitted receiving $1,800 for each passenger.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"In late July, federal authorities began an investigation after Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a discrepancy in the number of passengers from a Mexicana flight that went through federal inspection."

&

"Canchola, who was arrested Aug. 23 and sentenced Monday, had spent nearly two decades working for Los Angeles World Airports before his badge was confiscated the day of his arrest.

Agents believe Canchola was part of a larger smuggling organization."

___________

anna.gorman@latimes.com

PJ - Western Hemisphere visits will soon require a passport

Poughkeepsie Journal

Western Hemisphere visits will soon require a passport


By Brad Kendall • March 3, 2009


In three months, on June 1, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect.


The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service program will affect those Americans entering the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. (Those entering by air are required to use a U.S. Passport now and in the future.)

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Currently, Americans crossing these borders can do so using photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate. After June 1, Americans crossing these borders will be required to use either a U.S. passport, a U.S. passport card, a New York state enhanced driver's license, or an enhanced photo identification card."

&

"The New York state enhan-ced driver's license, the en-hanced non-driver's ID card or an enhanced learner's permit are valid for land and sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. These are not valid for international air travel. To upgrade a valid license, permit or non-driver ID, the cost is $40. If you upgrade your document at time of renewal, there is an additional $30 fee on top of the license or ID fee."

JO - USAID setting the record straight on community policing assistance

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

USAID setting the record straight on community policing assistance

Karen R Hilliard

Saturday, May 31, 2008

The United States Agency for International Development wishes to correct a number of erroneous statements and misleading information provided in the last two weeks through the news media about USAID's support for community-based policing (CBP) in Jamaica.

Read the whole article here.

_____

Karen R Hilliard is mission director, USAID/Jamaica.