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An Overview of
Federal Drug Control Programs
on the Southwest Border

PHASE 2: MAINTAIN CONTROL IN SAN DIEGO, NOGALES AND EL PASO; EXPAND TEXAS EFFORTS

While new tactics and agent resources in San Diego, El Paso and Nogales became the necessary focus of INS' FY 1994 and FY 1995 efforts, INS also began to lay the groundwork for a build-up of enforcement resources in Texas. A wide variety of infrastructure enhancements, such as low-light TV monitors, sensors, lights, and a biometric identification system were put in place to ensure that when INS deployed additional Border Patrol agents on the Texas border, they would be well-equipped and prepared to manage the challenges facing them.

Texas presents a different set of challenges for INS. The varying terrain that separates the United States from Mexico includes a major river along the border, backed by stretches varying from scrub brush to dense foliage to urban areas. Border-crossing train routes also present additional control and facilitation challenges in areas such as Laredo and McAllen.

Thus, with infrastructure enhancements well underway, the next step in the Southwest border strategy calls for concentrated efforts in South Texas -- Operation Rio Grande. At the same time, INS will work to continue to maintain the gains made in El Paso, Nogales, and San Diego.

Operation Rio Grande

Operation Rio Grande, announced by Commissioner Meissner in July 1997, is a multi-year plan that builds on the successful implementation of operations Hold the Line, Gatekeeper, and Safeguard. This new phase, designed to improve the quality of life in communities along the Texas and New Mexico border by curbing illegal immigration and facilitating legal traffic into the country, is scheduled to begin August 25 in the Brownsville area.

Operation Rio Grande will expand control along the remainder of the Texas border, starting east in Brownsville and working west. It is a coordinated plan -- developed by top INS field managers in Texas -- designed to best meet the unique challenges along the different areas of the border throughout Texas and New Mexico.

In addition, 133 new agents will be deployed to the Texas/New Mexico border in the coming months, bringing the total number of new agents for the area to 436 by the end of FY 1997. The Border Patrol agent force in Texas and New Mexico will stand at 2,693 agents at the end of FY 1997 -- a 53 percent increase from 1,756 in 1993. INS expects to send the majority of new agents and technical resources to Texas in the next several years if illegal traffic continues to grow in Texas.

INS has also deployed new equipment and technology in Texas since 1993. Low-light television monitors, night vision equipment, night scopes, sensors, and encrypted radios are just some of the assets that INS has deployed in Texas as essential tools in the task of safeguarding the nation's borders.

Operation Rio Grande is designed to gain and maintain control of targeted border areas through a combination of new technology and additional manpower, including an immediate influx of 69 detailed agents and increased overtime that will bolster the Patrol's line agent force. The 69 agents on detail will be replaced by these permanent staff as they return from training at the Academy. In addition, a key element of the plan includes integrating all facets of INS enforcement operations such as Border Patrol agents, inspectors at ports of entry, investigators, intelligence analysts, and officers responsible for detaining and returning illegal aliens.

The operation divides Texas and New Mexico into three main corridors -- encompassing five Border Patrol sectors that span the two states -- McAllen/Laredo, Del Rio/Marfa and El Paso. It focuses on gaining and maintaining control in the most heavily trafficked areas and communities along the border.

As INS gains control in each of the targeted areas, that control will be maintained through permanently increased staffing, technology and lighting, and enhanced detention and removal capabilities. INS' primary focus in the initial enforcement phase, slated to begin August 25, will be in the Brownsville area. INS will also lay the groundwork for movement west toward Laredo.

INS will enhance border enforcement operations in downtown Brownsville and the rest of the McAllen sector in numerous ways including:

  • Increasing personnel. INS will immediately detail 69 Border Patrol agents to the McAllen sector from stations in the interior and on the northern border. These detailed agents will be replaced by permanent new agents currently in training and assigned to the McAllen sector. In addition, overtime has been budgeted to allow increased patrols for extended periods enabling the Patrol to schedule an additional 168 shifts per week;

  • Deploying special response teams to ports of entry to handle an anticipated rise in aliens attempting to enter using fraudulent documents;

  • Increasing the amount of bed space available to detain apprehended aliens;

  • Installing IDENT systems for rapidly checking the criminal records of illegal aliens at ports of entry;

  • Adding electronic sensors, night scopes and day scopes for towers;

  • Equipping agents with additional night vision goggles;

  • Installing portable lighting along the river levee; and

  • Installing low-light television for monitoring activity in identified "hot spots."

The remaining sectors and districts will rely on additional overtime funds and detention, removal, intelligence and anti-smuggling support to strengthen their operations in targeted high crossing areas and ports-of-entry.

Operation Rio Grande builds on the success of INS' comprehensive Southwest border strategy launched in February 1994. For the first time, an integrated strategy was developed that addressed how to fight illegal immigration at and between ports-of-entry. Operations Hold the Line, Gatekeeper, and Safeguard have made great strides in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants and redirecting narcotics trafficking from Mexico and other countries. Operation Rio Grande will continue this initiative, incorporating the best practices established in the other border operations.

Although the initial focus of Operation Rio Grande will be on the McAllen area -- the most heavily trafficked illegal immigration and drug smuggling corridor -- the entire Texas/New Mexico border is included in this multi-year strategy. As INS gains control in this area, emphasis will shift toward Laredo and other parts of the border where the pressure is greatest.

NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

The increase in INS' Southwest border infrastructure has been just as dramatic as the increase in the number of agents. Technological devices act as force multipliers -- increasing the productivity of agents. The use of technological resources such as low-light TV, infrared night scopes, sensors and encrypted radios has moved the Border Patrol into the 21st century of law enforcement. These devices enable field managers to more effectively apprehend and accurately track the crossing patterns of illegal entrants. The new technology allows them to develop tactics that utilize their personnel more effectively and help the line agents accomplish their mission.

IDENT

IDENT is a biometric identification system that uses an apprehended alien's fingerprint to identify any criminal alien, whether they have a criminal record or have previously been removed from the United States. When armed with this information, the agency can work with U.S. Attorneys to prosecute aliens unlawfully present in the United States after previous immigration violations. It also helps INS in strategy development by tracking the number of aliens attempting to illegally re-enter the country. The usefulness of this system does not stop at the border however; INS district offices use the system to identify repeat offenders using fraudulent documents at ports of entry as well as to identify aliens it encounters in investigative operations.

INS began the installation of the IDENT system in FY 1995, and currently IDENT systems have been installed at 97 sites along the Southwest border. Since installation of IDENT at El Paso's Paso Del Norte bridge this past March, there has been a sharp increase in the apprehension of repeat offenders attempting to re-enter the United States after removal. Since installation on March 26 (through July 24), IDENT has been used to process 2,224 individuals, resulting in the identification of 302 prior offenders of immigration laws -- 176 of whom were referred for criminal prosecution.

CADRE/ Sensor Deployment

Where INS once relied only on its Border Patrol agents' ability to detect and track groups of illegal crossers, sensors buried along the border at suspected crossing locations allow agents to cover a wider area. When the sensors are set off, the Border Patrol station is alerted and line agents are then notified. The information obtained from the sensors in the detection of migrant crossing groups is enhanced when coupled with the CADRE system. This system is a Windows-based computer network that analyzes sensor data and is connected to a dispatch system. The system also allows Border Patrol sectors to analyze sensor data to see crossing patterns.

In the El Paso sector, where the number of sensors has increased from 788 in 1995 to the current level of 1,328, CADRE increased the response rate to sensor "hits" by tracking the number of agents available and providing information that increases the efficient use of these agents in the field. INS has increased sensor inventory on the Southwest border by 96 percent in the past four years. By the end of FY 1997, 8,272 sensors will have been sent to the Southwest border (this figure is an update as of 8/8/97).

ENFORCE

The ENFORCE system has allowed INS to automate the preparation of paperwork used by INS agents to process immigration violations. Previously, the paperwork for immigration cases was prepared by hand, often taking more than two hours per case. Automation has reduced the processing time to less than 30 minutes for most cases. Once data from an investigation is collected, the ENFORCE system is used to print the necessary forms for hearings and other actions.

ENFORCE supports a more streamlined and efficient business process and will soon include a biometric interface with the IDENT system, allowing INS to capture photographs and perform fingerprint matching functions during a single procedure. The ENFORCE system is currently in place in El Paso at the port and in the Border Patrol sector and will soon be installed in McAllen and Brownsville. The El Paso sector has been selected as the prototype location for marrying IDENT with ENFORCE, which will increase the proficiency in tracking immigration and criminal records of detainees and facilitating the detention and repatriation of illegal entrants.

Vehicles

Illegal border crossings often take place in difficult and dangerous terrain, requiring that Border Patrol agents be equipped with a variety of vehicles. Although agents most often use four-wheel-drive vehicles to maintain their off-road presence, they also use all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles to cover the varying areas of the border.

INS has dramatically increased the number of new vehicles for use in Border Patrol sectors along the Southwest border, from 1,558 in FY 1994 to 3,986 in FY 1997 (as of 8-6-97) -- a 156 percent increase. Additional new vehicles have been provided at the rate of two vehicles for every three new agents deployed since 1994, as well as to replace vehicles that have worn out from extensive use.

K-9 Inspection

Dogs have been highly successful in detecting concealed aliens and drugs that might otherwise have entered the United States illegally. Since FY 1993, the National Canine Facility, located in El Paso, has trained 109 canine teams. In total, there are 150 K-9s assigned to the Border Patrol -- 144 to sectors along the Southwest border.

In May 1997, two incidents in the McAllen sector demonstrated the value of the Border Patrol dogs: A Border Patrol canine team discovered 4,659 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $3.7 million, hidden in a secret compartment in a boxcar. Similarly, a dog detected 5,844 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $4.6 million, and four weapons while searching for illegal aliens in Brownsville. In July 1997 at a highway checkpoint in the Laredo sector 15 miles in from the border, a Border Patrol canine team detected 3,332 pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $100 million, which, if undetected, would likely have made it onto U.S. streets.

INS also uses K-9 units at ports of entry, providing an effective resource to detect both alien and drug smuggling. The dogs and their handlers are also trained in El Paso, which ensures consistency in K-9 operations both at ports of entry and between ports of entry. A total of 16 K-9 units are deployed at six Southwest border ports. These units are available for special operations, working with Border Patrol and the U.S. Customs Service, as needed.

In FY 1996, canine-assisted enforcement actions netted more than 25,000 concealed humans, 229,623 pounds of marijuana, 7,099 pounds of cocaine and 710 pounds of heroin and more than $2 million in tainted cash nationwide.

Aircraft

Airplanes and helicopters provide an "eye in the sky" for the Border Patrol, enabling them to observe border areas inaccessible by vehicles and provide support for the agents' missions. By following vehicles and individuals illegally crossing the border, Border Patrol aircraft minimize the risks that are present in a vehicle pursuit. Additionally, aircraft pilots can conduct wide-ranging patrol operations and, when equipped with night-vision goggles, are able to spot illegal activities that previously might have gone unnoticed. The Border Patrol's 39 helicopters and 20 fixed-wing aircraft along the Southwest border are critical in the battle against illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Fences

Placing fences on the border has proven successful in controlling the flow of illegal border crossers, forcing them to make their attempt in other locations that are either more observable or more difficult to cross. Fences also make it more difficult, if not impossible, for vehicles to drive across the border unimpeded. Fencing in downtown El Paso pushed alien traffic from the heart of the city to the ports of entry where it can be better controlled, and to areas outside of the city where it is harder to cross unnoticed.

INS has installed more than 33 miles of fencing along the Southwest border over the past four years. Before Operation Gatekeeper was instituted in 1994, only 19 miles of fencing existed in the San Diego sector, and in FY 1997 INS has increased that to more than 35 miles -- an 86 percent increase.

Deployment of Border Patrol Agents

The deployment of Border Patrol agents along the Southwest border has been steadily increasing since FY 1993, from 3,389 agents to 6,213 agents at the end of FY 1997 -- an 83 percent increase. The number of Border Patrol agents along the Southwest border has increased dramatically in the last four years, and as the Border Patrol grows to its congressionally mandated strength of 10,000 agents by the year 2001, those numbers will continue to increase.

Port Court: Immediate Action at the Border

The San Diego Port Court was the first immigration court to operate at the border. It was designed to impose real and immediate consequences at the border -- including exclusion and deportation orders -- for those who violate U.S. immigration laws. Implemented in July 1995, this pilot project targeted aliens coming through the ports of entry with fraudulent documents or very small amounts of drugs. In the first year of operation, more than 14,000 aliens were quickly removed through expedited proceedings at the Port Court and had their documents seized. Each received an order making them subject to federal felony prosecution if they return.

With the implementation of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, cases of fraud encountered at ports of entry are now adjudicated by inspectors instead of immigration judges, as was the case with the Port Court pilot program.

Border Facilitation

The facilitation of legal border crossings, especially since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has been an integral part of the INS border management strategy for two reasons. First, INS recognizes the significant trade, commerce, and business interests across the border as well as the significant level of integration between border communities. Second, when traditional routes of illegal entry essentially have been shut down, there is increasing pressure on ports of entry as more aliens attempt to enter the United States using fraudulent documents. For example, the number of fraudulent documents seized at El Paso's busy ports of entry has increased from 7,401 in FY 1994 to 11,034 in FY 1996, a number that is certain to be surpassed this year.

Inspectors

In order to respond to these two pressures, INS has greatly increased the number of inspectors at ports of entry along the Southwest border. In FY 1994, there were 1,117 Inspectors assigned to Southwest border locations; in FY 1997, INS increased that number to 1,865 -- a 67 percent increase.

Dedicated Commuter Lanes

In 1995, INS expanded its use of the Dedicated Commuter Lane (DCL) to the southern border at the Otay Mesa (California) port of entry. DCLs allow low-risk, frequent travelers to register for pre-inspected status. Vehicles enrolled in the program are outfitted with transponders that emit radio signals read by an antenna in the roadway once the vehicle approaches the lane. Each transponder has a unique number, which retrieves a specific record in the DCL's database. This record appears on a screen in front of the inspector and features a digitized image of the driver and authorized passengers, along with critical information about those passengers. DCLs substantially reduce waiting times for low-risk, frequent border crossers while enabling inspectors to focus more attention on higher-risk traffic. At the Otay Mesa port of entry, travelers passing in the dedicated lane often have less than a four-minute wait, compared to the average 20-minute wait for travelers in the regular vehicle lanes. Plans are currently being developed to open additional DCLs along the Southwest border, including at the San Ysidro, El Paso, and Hidalgo ports of entry.

Source: Immigration and Naturalization Service.

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