Updates

Fact Sheet - Securing America's Borders CBP 2006 Fiscal Year in Review

Release Date: October 30, 2006   During fiscal year 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection made significant progress toward securing our nation’s border at and between the ports of entry. Through operations, increases in staffing, additional infrastructure and better technology, and the support of the President and Congress, CBP’s frontline personnel were better equipped in fiscal year 2006 than any period in the nation’s history.   Between Ports of Entry
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP Border Patrol agents improved border security, reducing the number of apprehensions at the borders by 8.4 percent compared with fiscal year 2005. Tucson Sector saw a reduction in apprehensions by 11 percent (392,074 apprehensions) and El Paso Sector saw a 9 percent reduction (122,256 apprehensions) in fiscal year 2006 compared with 2005. San Diego Sector saw an increase of 3 percent (142,104 apprehensions).
  • Significant progress has been made with denying illegal entry to aliens from countries other-than-Mexico (OTMs). In fiscal year 2005, OTMs made up approximately 20 percent of border apprehensions. In fiscal year 2006, working closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBP Border Patrol agents reduced the percentage of OTM apprehensions at the Southwest border to 98,153 or 9 percent of total border apprehensions. 40,977 El Salvadoran’s were apprehended in fiscal year 2006, second only to Mexico as a county of origin. Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas decreased apprehensions by 35 percent (52,246 apprehensions) compared to fiscal year 2005.
  • CBP Border Patrol seized more than 1.3 million pounds of marijuana in fiscal year 2006, a 13 percent increase compared with fiscal year 2005. Tucson Sector seized 616,534 pounds of marijuana in fiscal year, a 26 percent increase compared with fiscal year 2005.
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP continued its strategy of gaining, maintaining and expanding control of our nations borders through Operation Streamline in Del Rio, Texas. CBP Border Patrol partnered with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice in a combined prosecution and removal effort. In that area of the Texas border alone, apprehensions were reduced by 38 percent (68,483 apprehensions) compared with fiscal year 2005. OTM apprehensions were down 61 percent compared to fiscal year 2005.
  • In support of the President’s initiative to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard personnel to the Southwest Border, CBP Border Patrol launched Operation Jump Start. Through the support of Guard members, CBP Border Patrol replaced agents in supporting roles with Guard members, returning agents to frontline border security duties by September. This helped CBP Border Patrol increase surveillance with entryentification teams and Guard members as remote surveillance camera operators.
  • From the start of Operation Jump Start to the end of the fiscal year, Guard personnel helped Border Patrol apprehend more than 13,000 aliens and seized 41,000 pounds of marijuana. Guard members repaired and maintained existing infrastructure and built new infrastructure. The added Guard presence helped deter potential border crossers as the odds of crossing undetected diminished.
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP Border Patrol staffing increased by 8 percent, from 11,265 to 12,349.
  Air and Marine Operations
  • In fiscal year 2006, DHS unified air and marine assets and personnel under CBP’s Office of Air and Marine, the largest law enforcement air force in the world with 500 pilots, more than 250 aircraft and 200 marine vessels.
  • CBP Air and Marine expanded operations along the northern border with Great Falls, Montana Air Branch, the third of five planned air branches along the northern border. At full capacity, the Great Falls Air Branch will consist of 52 federal law enforcement officers, pilots, aircrew and mission-support personnel. Branch assets include two apprehension aircraft (UH-60 Blackhawk), two interdiction aircraft (Cessna 550, Citation II), and one surveillance support aircraft (Pilatus PC-12). The Great Falls Air Branch will conduct regular mission patrols and is equipped for rapid incident response.
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP Air and Marine broke ground on a new facility at the National Air Training Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Upon completion, the new facility will be capable of housing additional aircraft and personnel necessary to meet projected increases in CBP Air and Marine training and standardization requirements. CBP Air and Marine modernized its air fleet with the purchase of 10 EC-120 helicopters for southwest border security operations.
  • CBP Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) in Riverside, Calif., was the receipt of the Director’s Award for Distinguished Service from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. This award was presented to the AMOC staff on May 2 in recognition of their distinguished service to the nation in support of the President’s National Drug Control Strategy.
  At Ports of Entry
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP officers seized more than 644,000 pounds of marijuana, arrested more than 23,000 suspected criminals, interdicted more than 209,000 inadmissible aliens and conducted 1.628 million agricultural interceptions (meats and plants).
  • In fiscal year 2006, CBP officers inspected 422 million travelers and more than 132 million cars, trucks, buses trains, vessels and aircraft. CBP officers inspected 1.19 million private vehicles, 11.48 million trucks and more than 1 million aircraft.
  • As part of CBP’s efforts to secure our nation’s ports of entry, CBP expanded the Container Security Initiative, increasing participating ports to 50 in fiscal year 2006. CSI now covers 81.73 percent of U.S.-bound maritime containers.
  • In fiscal year 2006, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism completed 2,052 validations, which involved 2,415 site visits in 58 foreign countries.
  • CBP’s Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) registered traveler program opened six lanes as part of CBP’s efforts to facilitate legitimate travel. Lanes were opened in San Ysidro, Calif., Calexico, Calif., Nogales, Ariz., El Paso, Texas, Brownsville, Texas and Hidalgo, Texas.
  • By the end of fiscal year 2006, CBP deployed 283 new radiation portal monitors throughout the nation’s ports of entry, bringing the number of RPMs to 881 at the nation’s land and sea ports of entry.
  • In fiscal year 2006, hired more than 1,300 new CBP officers and 280 agriculture specialists.
  • Initiated a number of enforcement strategies that significantly increased commercial seizures. The total value of commercial seizures was well over $375 million, an increase of $102.5 million over FY 05 seizures.
  • Developed a CBP Operation Plan and Standard Operating Procedures that provides high-level guidance for CBP’s role in a pandemic outbreak. In addition, developed and implemented CBP-wide bird importation handling procedures and deployed related internet-based training modules.
  • Developed and coordinated the Rice-Chertoff Initiative to establish two model international ports of entry at Washington/Dulles and Houston Intercontinental airports. This initiative seeks to renew America’s welcome with improved technology and efficiency, the development of secure travel documents for the 21st century, and improved information sharing.
  • OFO has developed a comprehensive five-year Strategic Plan, Securing America’s Borders at Ports of Entry, which defines CBP’s national strategy for securing America’s borders. This plan include five border security goals that focus on improving CBP’s ability to accomplish its overall strategic mission of preventing terrorism at ports of entry and protecting America and its citizens, while facilitating legitimate travel and trade.
  SBInet
  • In January, DHS hosted Industry Day, challenging private industry to partner with the Department in developing an integrated and comprehensive solution to border security along 6,000 miles of border. The executive agent of the SBInet contract, CBP worked diligently, publishing the request for proposal, evaluating five requests for proposals, toward the eventual award of a contract by the end of the fiscal year. In September, DHS awarded the SBInet contract to Boeing.
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