- TSA Responds to Liquid Explosive Threat in London:In response to the foiled terror plot in England, TSA trained its 43,000 security officers to address the threat of liquid explosives in a matter of hours. After two days security wait times returned to normal levels. Six weeks later, after conducting extensive explosive testing with our federal partners, TSA again proved its flexibility by modifying its ban on liquids by allowing limited quantities onboard aircraft. Again, efficiency was not seriously affected and in fact wait times during the Thanksgiving holiday were slightly lower than in 2005.
- TSA Strengthens Air Cargo Security: In Fall 2006, TSA issued two security directives requiring inspection of 100 percent of high risk cargo, as well as packages tendered to airlines at the ticket counters. TSA also expanded the use of explosives detection canine teams to screen cargo and added 100 air cargo inspectors.
- TSA Screens 700,000 Port Workers: TSA conducted more than 700,000 name-based security threat assessments on port workers. In partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, TSA issued a proposed rule and will soon issue a final rule that clears the path to begin enrollment for the Transportation Workerentification Credential (TWIC) program in early 2007.
- TSA Raises Freight Rail Security Baseline: TSA worked with freight rail stakeholders to mitigate the greatest vulnerability in freight rail transportation—the standing Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) rail car. These efforts provide for minimizing the occurrence of unattended TIH cars in High Threat Urban Areas, and if they are present, lowering the cars’ standstill times and providing protection or surveillance. TSA also published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require a secure chain of custody for certain security sensitive materials and a car location reporting requirement allowing DHS to locate any car containing security sensitive materials at any time.
- TSA Commences Baseline Security Evaluations for Mass Transit and Passenger Rail Systems: Through this program, 100 nation-wide Surface Transportation Inspectors reviewed implementation of 17 Security and Emergency Management Action Items that TSA and the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (DOT/FTA) jointly developed, in coordination with the Mass Transit Sector Coordinating Council. Implementation of the action items helps elevate security readiness throughout the public transportation industry by establishing baseline measures.
- TSA Strengthens TSO Workforce: TSA has enhanced the TSO workforce through increased focus on IED training, lower injury rates, new career opportunities, and a new performance incentive system.
- President Successfully Deploys 6,000 National Guard to Border: In support of the President’s initiative to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard personnel to the Southwest border, Border Patrol launched Operation Jumpstart. In addition to the National Guard deployment, Border Patrol staffing increased by 8 percent, from 11,265 to 12,349.
- Increased Border Security At and Between the Nation's Ports of Entry: CBP Border Patrol agents reduced the number of apprehensions at the borders by more than 8 percent in fiscal year 2006. As a result of targeted coordinated enforcement efforts, CBP Border Patrol reduced non-Mexican illegal alien apprehensions by 35 percent. In fiscal year 2006, CBP Border Patrol seized more than 1.3 million pounds of marijuana and 11,900 pounds of cocaine between the ports of entry. CBP officers at the nation's ports of entry seized more than 644,000 pounds of marijuana, arrested more than 23,000 suspected criminals, interdicted more than 209,000 inadmissible aliens and 1.628 million agricultural interceptions (meats and plants).
- Increased Border Security Draws Reduction in Apprehensions: CBP Border Patrol agents reduced the number of apprehensions at the borders by more than 8 percent compared to last year. As a result of targeted enforcement efforts and close coordination with other federal, state, tribal and local agencies, the Border Patrol saw a 35 percent decrease in the number of apprehensions of non-Mexican illegal aliens compared to 2005.
- CBP Deploys Over 880 Radiation Portal Monitors at Land and Sea Ports: CBP deployed 280 new radiation portal monitors throughout the Nation’s ports of entry, bringing the number of radiation portal monitors to 881 at the Nation’s land and sea ports of entry.
- CSI Expands to 50 Ports, Covering Over 80 Percent of Containers: CBP expanded the Container Security Initiative (CSI), increasing participating ports to 50 in fiscal year 2006. CSI now covers more than 80 percent of U.S.-bound maritime containers.
- Processed 61 Repatriation Flights: During the evacuations from Lebanon, DHS facilitated the processing of 61 civilian and military repatriation flights or 11,287 U.S. citizens, while continuing to be vigilant inentifying any individuals who would try and enter the U.S. fraudulently or with malicious intent. DHS fully vetted all arriving persons and ensured that all persons were checked for terrorism links, criminal warrants, immigration and other violations. Federal Air Marshals, Aviation Security Inspectors and Transportation Security Officers were also deployed to key sites both in the U.S. and abroad to facilitate secure flight and screening operations.
- DHS Awards SBInet Contract to Boeing: DHS awarded a contract to Boeing Co. to implement SBInet along the Northern and Southern Borders. The program will provide DHS with the best possible tools to detect,entify, ify, respond to and resolve illegal entry attempts at our land borders.
- CBP Increases Capability to Secure the Northern Border: CBP Air and Marine opened its third of 5 Air Branches planned for the Northern Border of the United States. The Great Falls Air Branch, Montana joins the Bellingham, Washington, and Plattsburgh, New York, Air Branches in supporting Homeland Security efforts along the northern tier.
- Ports of Entry Inspections Form First Line of Defense at Land Borders: CBP officers inspected 422 million travelers, 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.
- CBP Immigration Advisory Program (IAP) Enhances Security: The IAP enhances security by preventing terrorists and other high-risk passengers from boarding aircraft destined for the United States. Since its inception in 2004, IAP teams have made more than 1,000 no-board recommendations for high-risk or inadequately documented passengers. IAP accomplishments equate to approximately $1.6 million in cost avoidance associated with detaining and removing passengers who would have been returned after having been refused admission to the United States, and $1.5 million in potential air carrier potential savings.
- “Catch and Return” Replaces “Catch-and-Release” Along the Borders: The practice of “catch and release” for non-Mexican aliens existed for years and was one of the greatest impediments to gaining control of the border. In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE re-engineered the detention and removal process to effectively end this practice along the border, an accomplishment that many considered impossible in 2005 when only approximately 29 percent of apprehended non-Mexican aliens were detained along the border.
- ICE Sets New Record for Worksite Enforcement: More than 4,300 arrests were made in ICE worksite enforcement cases, more than seven times the arrests in 2002, the last full year of operations for U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
- ICE Sets New Record for Compliance Enforcement: ICE completed 5,956 compliance enforcement investigations resulting in the administrative arrest of 1,710 overstay and status violators, a 75 percent increase over the number of administrative arrests in FY 2005.
- ICE Sets New Record for Alien Removals: ICE removed a record 189,670 illegal aliens from the country this fiscal year, a twelve percent increase over the number of removals during the prior fiscal year. ICE also increased its detention bed space by 6,300 during fiscal year 2006. Combined with fiscal year 2007 enhancements, ICE is now funded for a total of 27,700 beds.
- ICE Nearly Triples the Number of Fugitive Operations Teams: ICE nearly tripled the number of fugitive operations teams deployed nationwide from 18 to 50. These additional teams maximized the efficiency of ICE immigration enforcement efforts to locate, apprehend and remove fugitive aliens, nearly one-third of whom have criminal histories.
- ICE Dismantles one of the World’s Most Powerful Drug Cartels: ICE concluded a 15-year probe into Colombia’s Cali drug cartel, once responsible for 80 percent of the world’s cocaine supply, with guilty pleas by its leaders and a $2 billion forfeiture settlement. More than 141 members of this organization have been arrested, indicted or convicted as part of this ICE case.
- ICE Targets Transnational Gangs: Through Operation Community Shield, ICE arrested roughly 2,290 violent gang members nationwide in 2006, of which 1,073 had convictions for violent crimes. Since its inception in 2005, Operation Community Shield has resulted in the arrest of 3,700 gang members.
- U.S.Coast Guard Christens First New High Endurance Cutter in Over 35 Years: The U.S. Coast Guard christened the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, the first new high endurance cutter to be built in more than 35 years and the first National Security Cutter in its Deepwater acquisition program. The cutter was designed to satisfy the Coast Guard's multi-mission responsibilities in homeland security, national defense, marine safety and environmental protection. The Coast Guard cutter Bertholf will play an important role in enhancing the Coast Guard's operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for its services has never been higher.
- U.S. Coast Guard Implements National Capital Region Air Defense Mission: The U.S. Coast Guard officially assumed responsibility for air intercept operations in the nation's capital from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Coast Guard will support the North American Aerospace Defense Command's mission with its rotary wing air intercept capability. Coast Guard HH-65C helicopters and crews will be responsible for intercepting unauthorized aircraft which fly into an air defenseentification zone that surrounds Washington.
- U.S. Coast Guard Arrests "Tijuana Cartel” Drug Lord: In August, off the coast of San Diego, the U.S. Coast Guard, along with federal drug agents, arrested Mexican drug lord Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix, leader of a major violent gang, known as the Tijuana Cartel, responsible for digging elaborate tunnels to smuggle drugs under the U.S. border.
- U.S.Coast Guard Set Records for Drug Seizures and Arrests: This year, counter-drug boardings from U.S. and Royal Navy vessels resulted in all-time records for seizures and arrests. The 93,209 pounds of drugs that were seized was more than the combined amount seized in the last two years.
- DHS Launches the Air Cargo Explosives Detection Pilot Program: The $30 million program, launched at San Francisco International Airport and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is designed to capture vital information associated with enhanced air cargo screening and inspection, and will provide critical knowledge to help TSA make future decisions and assist in technological research and development planning for the national air cargo security infrastructure.
- S&T Announces National Interoperability Baseline Survey Results: The Office for Interoperability and Compatibility’s SAFECOM program has released the final results of its National Interoperability Baseline Survey, fielded earlier this year to measure the capacity for interoperable communications among emergency response agencies nationwide. Byentifying the Nation’s interoperability capacities, survey findings will help policy makers and emergency response leaders make informed decisions about strategies for improving interoperability and target resources. The landmark analysis surveyed 22,400 law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service agencies nationwide, and had a response rate of approximately 30 percent.
- TSA Conducts Rail Security Explosives Detection Pilot Programs: Rail Security Explosives Detection Pilot Programs were conducted in Baltimore, MD and Jersey City, NJ to test and evaluate security equipment and operating procedures as part of DHS’s broader efforts to protect citizens and critical infrastructure from possible terrorist attacks.
- S&T Breaks Ground for the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center(NBACC): The facility will comprise roughly 160,000 gross square feet with a concentration of research and associated space. NBACC will support a staff of approximately 120, and will house two centers, the Biological Threat Characterization Center and the National Bioforensic Analysis Center.
- DHS Awards Contracts to Support Emerging Counter-MANPADS Technologies: S&T completed Phase II of a multi-phase program to migrate onboard military countermeasures technology to commercial aircraft to protect against shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles, known as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). Under Phase III of the program S&T and its industry partners are collecting operations, support, and performance data. Additionally, S&T selected three firms to receive $7.4 million in combined contract awards to assess alternative methods to counter the MANPADS threat.
- USCIS Eliminates Backlog: Through increased productivity, reengineered processes, and automated services, USCIS eliminated case backlogs of applications for immigration services and benefits, reducing the backlog from 3.8 million cases in January 2004 to less than 10,000 at the end of September 2006.
- USCIS Establishes National Security and Records
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