The USA Customs and Border Security

American Military University HLSS311 Border and Costal Security Professor Webster January 14, 2018 Introduction It is undeniable that there are so many people who have evil intentions and they try their best to make it to America for them to be able to execute their evil plans. There are also so many crime groups and syndicates that like to send dangerous and illegal materials to America hoping to make a lot of money out of these things. Fortunately, there is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection which makes sure that the people of America will be protected from these threats as these dangerous individuals and materials will never be allowed to enter America and its borders at all.

Discussion The history of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection can be traced as far back as the year 1789 when President George Washington approved the Tariff of 1789 which legalized the process of getting duties from imports (Warner, 2010, p. 12). This became the strategy of the American government at that time to secure the funds that they needed to recover from the devastation caused by the American Revolutionary War. It was also during this year when the United States Customs Service was formally set up. This agency became the main source of funding by the government for the next century, and it was successful in ensuring that America’s progress and development in building the necessary infrastructures would proceed. The United States Customs Service was also responsible for the acquisition of important territories such Florida and Louisiana as well as the construction of important railroads and schools all over the country. Thus, America will not be the superpower that it is today if not for the major contributions made by the United States Customs Service. This agency worked hard to ensure that America will be on the right direction and will have the money that it needed to improve its infrastructures which were used by the people and made their lives better.

The conclusion of the Civil War triggered several states to impose whatever immigration laws that they wanted. This created chaos in America, and so the Supreme Court eventually decided in 1875 that the establishment of immigration laws should be done by the federal government and not the local governments. The Immigration Act was implemented in 1891 which set up an agency which took charge of determining the immigrants who will be allowed to enter America and those who will be denied of entry for various reasons (Philpott, 2015, p. 122). This agency employed people who were based in the important ports of entry of America and they checked the manifests of the immigrants. It was evident during the 1900s that the main concern of the Congress about immigration was safeguarding the employees and wages of the people. Thus, this approach transformed immigration as a business issue instead of a profit issue. This paved the way for immigration to be integrated within the scope of responsibilities of the Department of Commerce and Labor at the start of the 20th century.

The conclusion of the First World War triggered the government to streamline the entry of immigrants into America who were mostly arriving from Europe. This effort became evident when laws were imposed in the 1920s to reduce the number of immigrants through designating a limit for every nationality depending on what the past American census statistics indicated. The American government reduced the number of visas it offered annually, and those immigrants who managed to get them were the only ones allowed to enter the American borders. This was the conscious effort by the government to prevent America from getting overwhelmed by the tremendous number of immigrants from Europe who were all trying to have a shot at a better life in America. During the time of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he made sure that immigration would become the responsibility of the Department of Justice already. At present, the Customs and Border Protection is under the control of the Department of Homeland Security and this began in 2003. It is estimated that the Customs and Border Protection is made up of nearly 60,000 workers with various roles and responsibilities. This agency is being headed by a Commissioner who is Kevin McAleenan at present. He began his term last January 2017. McAleenan is being supported by Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello and his primary responsibility is to make sure that the U.S. Border Patrol will always have an effective performance. There are several agencies that make up the Customs and Border Protection.

For example, there is the Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and its goal is to safeguard the people and important infrastructures of the United States by way of taking full advantage of its existing air and marine assets to identify and stop possible terrorist attacks, shipment of banned products and illegal entry of immigrants (Bullock, 2015, p. 248). The Air and Marine Operations has the special capability to offer air and marine assistance to various agencies and to guarantee that the borders of America will always be safeguarded. To achieve its goals, the Air and Marine Operations is comprised of at least 1,200 workers who have been distributed to various locations all over America. There are at least 250 air assets and 300 marine assets that are available for use by the workers at the Air and Marine Operations. The air assets are made up of aircrafts being used regularly for surveillance, patrol and apprehension purposes. On the other hand, the marine assets are being used to prevent and apprehend smugglers who are using boats and ships to transport their contraband into the American borders. These marine assets are fast, reliable and equipped with the latest technologies. These air and marine assets and their impressive technologies make it easier for the workers at the Air and Marine Operations to do their job in protecting the borders of America from threats. The Office of Field Operations (OFO) is another agency of the Customs and Border Protection. The workers in this agency are given the authority to check, apprehend and prevent suspicious people or materials from getting inside or outside of America (Schied, 2010, p. 43).

America implements certain laws regarding exportation and importation which need to be followed all the time. Thus, if tourists entering the country will try to bring in cargo and other materials that violate these laws, they will be arrested, and their cargo will be confiscated. Even the animals and plants being attempted to be brought inside America are being checked by the workers at the Office of Field Operations because there is always that possibility that these animals and plants are infected or contaminated with diseases. There are also canine teams being used by the workers at the Office of Field Operations to help them in identifying the presence of illegal drugs, immigrants hiding from somewhere, smuggled products and hidden money which could be hard for the workers to recognize. Finally, there is the United States Border Patrol.

The border of America is hard to determine especially when people are wandering in open lands. This is the reason why the Border Patrol workers make use of numerous strategies and technologies to make their job easier. For example, there are sensors that have been set up in specific areas along the border to identify the presence of individuals or cars going inside the country in an illegal manner. The workers at the Border Patrol are constantly looking at their monitors to see what is happening in the border, and they also have their night vision equipment so those who are trying to illegally enter America at night will still get caught. There are aerial, land and marine vehicles being used by the Border Patrol workers, so it becomes easier for them to roam around the border and catch those who are trying to escape.

The Border Patrol is totally ready and capable to protect the border of America. The Customs and Border Protection has the capability under the law to inspect shipments going inside or outside of America. It can confiscate materials that have been stolen, illegally imported or smuggled. If the importation of a certain material is banned or limited by American laws in connection to the safety of the people, this material will be confiscated. If the material does not have a government license necessary for importation, it will be confiscated. If the packaging of the material does not conform with the laws being implemented in America, it will be confiscated. If the material has been deliberately marked numerous times already and does not follow the American laws anymore, it will be confiscated. If the documents given to prove the validity of the importation of the material are proven to be fake, the material will eventually be confiscated.

The penalties that have been specified by the Tariff Act of 1930 are the ones being followed when it comes to the confiscated imported materials (Hinkelman, 2003, p. 289). There will be fines that will be imposed on people who import, try to import or help in the importation of materials illegally. When it comes to fraud, the highest penalty will be the local worth of the material. In terms of gross negligence, the highest penalty will be possible loss of revenue multiplied by four. The bottom line here is that the Customs and Border Protection makes sure that those who make the mistake of trying to bring in imported materials illegally into America will pay a heavy price. The workers of the Customs and Border Protection have been properly trained and experienced enough to handle the inspection of imported materials, so they will eventually know if they should confiscate these materials or not. This is how tight the monitoring of imported products is in America and the Customs and Border Protection is at the forefront in making sure that nothing illegal will be able to enter America which could potentially harm or cause problems on the people. The workers at the Customs and Border Protection have their own specific designations. For example, in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), there are CBP officers who have the authority to apprehend, search, confiscate, carry weapons and serve warrants. These people help in the fight against terrorism through determining the suspicious people who are trying to enter America. The CBP officers help in making the society more peaceful through stopping crimes. They arrest people involved in illegal drugs, pornography, smuggling of weapons and other fraudulent activities. Those who want to become CBP officers are required to undergo training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. This is where the trainees are being taught of the important skills that they should know to become effective CBP officers in the long run.

The training usually lasts for four to five months to make sure that the trainees will be totally ready before they plunge into action. The Agriculture Specialists also work under the Office of Field Operations. The applicants get three months of training before being certified to do the job (Paynich, 2011, p. 91). These workers are the ones who are found at the airports, seaports and other areas of entry all over America. The Agriculture Specialists can also be designated in certain countries upon the orders of the American government to inspect agricultural products and make sure that they are all safe and free from contamination prior to being allowed to go into America. Thus, Agriculture Specialists play a huge role in ensuring the safety of the people of America because harmful animals and plants will never have a chance to make it in America and cause more damage and devastation. There is no doubt that contaminated plants and animals will cause diseases and health problems to people if they consume these. The Agriculture Specialists have the capability to check materials or packages going inside the country and confiscate something suspicious that they see. They can impose fines to violators.

Finally, there are the Import Specialists who work at the Office of Field Operations. These are the people with the knowledge and expertise to determine which products or materials will be allowed to enter America and which products will have to be rejected for various reasons (Sherman, 2009, p. 5). There is no doubt that the job of the Import Specialists is very tough because there are millions of imported products entering America every day. However, these imported products are not all legal and acceptable as there are also many of them that are smuggled, fake, or too dangerous for the people. This is the reason why the Import Specialists need to be very meticulous in inspecting the imported products because any mistake here could cause so much trouble and damage to the people of America. There can be instances where the Import Specialists would be designated abroad to check and inspect international factories for any possible violations that they have committed.

On the part of the U.S. Border Patrol, the workers here are called Border Patrol Agents. These are the people who are regularly roaming around the American borders to stop people from getting inside or outside of America illegally. The Border Patrol Agents identify and stop the entry of smuggled products and illegal immigrants to America. They have the authority to arrest individuals who have been discovered to be illegal immigrants living in America. The Border Patrol Agents help in reducing the presence of crimes in society and making the lives of the people living close to the American borders better. It is evident that the Border Patrol Agents are very active and doing many responsibilities which simply means that they play an important role in keeping the society safe and orderly. There may be many people who may try to illegally enter the country, but they can expect to be arrested eventually because the Border Patrol Agents are very competent in doing their job. Smuggled products will not have a chance to escape the watchful eyes of the Border Patrol Agents. When it comes to the Air and Marine Operations (AMO), they have workers who are called Aviation Enforcement Agents, Air Interdiction Agents and Marine Interdiction Agents. These are the people who get to use the most advanced aerial, land and marine assets of the Customs and Border Protection to make sure that terrorism will be controlled and the entry of aliens and illegal materials in America will be prevented. The Air and Marine Operations is properly funded and the agents who work here maximize their knowledge, skills and experience while also taking advantage of the impressive array of aerial, land and marine assets at their disposal. The Customs and Border Protection has always shown its willingness to adjust its rules and policies to make sure that it can address the challenges of the changing world.

For example, the Customs and Border Protection recently just required its agents to make sure that they have reasonable suspicion first before engaging in the inspection of mobile phones and tablets owned by the people who are going inside or outside of America (DeCell, 2018). This change in the rules enables the agents to keep on checking the details that have been saved in the mobile phones and tablets. However, the agents are not allowed anymore to make a copy of these details or use another device to conduct an analysis of these details unless they have a logical suspicion that the people who own these mobile phones and tablets are trying or planning to do certain crimes. There is no doubt that the use of mobile phones and tablets for crimes have become prevalent nowadays, so the Customs and Border Protection just made sure that its agents will be ready and empowered to make inspections of suspicious people as well as the mobile phones and tablets that they own. Prevention of crimes is always better than dealing with their consequences, so the Customs and Border Protection has done an excellent job in providing support and empowerment to its agents through this initiative. It is also good to know that the Trump administration has shown the tremendous desire to help the Customs and Border Protection to get better.

For example, the Trump government already approved the INTERDICT Act which gives $9 million to the agency so that it can acquire the necessary devices and technologies that it needs to identify the presence of illegal drugs among the people who are going inside America (Longmire, 2018). It is undeniable that the drug cartels and syndicates all over the world will never stop in trying to make their illegal drugs penetrate the American borders. This is the reason why the Customs and Border Protection needs to work even harder to make sure that these illegal drugs will be identified and confiscated right away. The recent move of the Trump administration is an excellent sign that the Customs and Border Protection will continue to get the financial support that it needs to be able to perform its roles effectively.

Aside from the INTERDICT Act, the Trump government has also promised to allocate $300 million so that the Customs and Border Protection can have an additional 5,000 agents as part of its workforce (Rodriguez, 2017). There is no doubt that one of the ongoing criticisms about the Customs and Border Protection is the shortage of available agents. This means that the capability of the agency to protect the American borders from threats has already been compromised because of the shortage of agents. This problem has been recognized already by the Trump government and its response has been very positive. The pledge to allocate the money necessary to solve the shortage of manpower problem at the Customs and Border Protection is another good sign that this agency is one of the priorities of the Trump government. This should help to address the fears and concerns of the people that the Customs and Border Protection is not effective and competent anymore. It is only a matter of time before the Customs and Border Protection goes back to its effective operations. The bottom line here is that the Customs and Border Protection will not be able to be productive in doing its responsibilities without the continued support coming from the government. It can be recalled that during the presidential campaigns, Donald Trump even claimed that his government will build a wall to prevent the Mexicans from illegally entering America, and he would make Mexico pay for this wall (Gambino, 2018). It remains to be seen whether this will really happen or not.

However, what is obvious is that President Trump has shown his desire to protect the American borders by whatever he believes is the best thing to do. This can only be good for the Customs and Border Protection because if the agents see that the President shares their mission to defend the borders of America whatever it takes, they will become more empowered and motivated to work harder. Conclusion The Customs and Border Protection is an agency that has done a remarkable job in protecting the people of America from the threats coming from illegal immigrants and smuggled merchandise. The agents of the Customs and Border Protection have spent so much time enhancing their knowledge and skills so that they can be effective in their respective roles and responsibilities. The Customs and Border Protection is blessed to have the aerial, land and marine assets that its agents use to make sure that all those threats are neutralized effectively. With the promise of continued support coming from the Trump government, things are looking bright and wonderful for the Customs and Border Protection as it also prepares to face tougher challenges and issues in the future. This agency will continue to do its best in apprehending illegal immigrants and confiscating banned merchandise so that the American society will be kept peaceful and orderly.

The people of America should be grateful and appreciative of the agents of Customs and Border Protection. References: 1. Introduction to Homeland Security. London: Butterworth-Heinemann DeCell, C. (2018). 2. “Customs and Border Protection’s New Policy for Searching Devices Offers Thin Protection.” Just Security Website. “Trump claims Mexico will pay for wall – day after seeking $18bn from Congress.” The Guardian Website. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/06/donald-trump-mexico-border-wall-funding Hinkelman, E. (2003). 4. Importers Manual USA. Petaluma, CA: World Trade Press Longmire, S. (2018). 5. “Trump Signs INTERDICT Act to Fund Fentanyl Detectors at Border Crossings.”