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effective fixed and mobile systems, CBP gains more
coverage and situational awareness of surveillance gaps,
and increases its ability to adapt to changing conditions to
effectively detect, identify, classify, track, and interdict
potential threats along the borders.
From the Air and the Sea
AMO increases CBP’s situational awareness, enhances
its detection and interdiction capabilities, and extends our
border security zones, offering greater capacity to stop
threats prior to reaching the Nation’s shores. Through the
use of coordinated and integrated air and marine
capabilities – including fixed and rotary wing aircraft,
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tethered aerostats and
patrol and interdiction vessels – AMO detects, interdicts,
and prevents acts of terrorism and the unlawful movement
of people, illegal drugs, and other contraband toward or
across U.S. borders. AMO conducts critical aerial and
maritime surveillance, interdiction, investigation, and
multi-domain awareness law enforcement operations, in
addition to providing assistance to ground personnel.
As conditions on the ground or in the approaches change,
CBP will adjust its operational posture and will continue to
invest and focus border security resources in the most
effective and efficient way possible to meet the Nation’s
border security needs.
Intelligence and Information Sharing
Criminal intelligence-sharing is a key component in
building situational awareness efforts along the Northern
and Southwest borders. CBP and component agencies
contribute to several initiatives to improve the combined
intelligence capabilities of Federal, state, local, tribal, and
international partners. Through these bilateral initiatives,
the United States, working closely with Canada and
Mexico, jointly address issues pertaining to border
management, including border violence, managing the
flow of legitimate travelers, and strengthening border
security.
Indicators of Success
Thanks to the support of Congress, the Nation’s long-term
investment in border security continues to produce
significant and positive results. DHS uses many different
types of metrics to assess our performance in managing
our security risks and facilitation responsibilities. It is
important to emphasize that there is no single number or
target level that can capture the full scope of our border
security efforts. Instead, there are a series of important
indicators that we use to assess our performance,
evaluate trends, and refine our operations.
Border Patrol apprehensions – an indicator of illegal
entries – totaled 337,117 nationwide in FY 2015,
compared to 486,651 in FY 2014. This represents a more
than 30 percent decline in the last year and almost 80
percent below its most recent peak in FY 2000. CBP
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April 2016 Edition
officers and agents also played a critical counternarcotics role, resulting in the seizure or disruption of
more than 3.3 million pounds of narcotics in FY 2015. In
addition, the agency seized more than $129 million in
unreported currency through integrated counter network
operations. In FY 2015, AMO contributed to the arrest of
4,485 suspects, the apprehension of more than 51,130
individuals, and the interdiction of more than 213,000
pounds of cocaine.
DHS recognizes the need for relevant performance
measures to verify the effectiveness of our operations
and assets. Furthermore, as border security operations
become increasingly integrated, the ability to quantify
individual contributions to shared outcomes becomes
increasingly complex. DHS will continue to collaborate
with internal and external partners to enhance current
metrics, and develop new metrics, that provide
meaningful outcome-focused measurements of illegal
activity, trends, and effectiveness. We look forward to
sharing these efforts with these Subcommittees in the
future.
Conclusion
DHS has significantly increased its border security
capabilities by adding thousands of frontline law
enforcement personnel, and making substantial
investments in infrastructure, situational awareness and
surveillance technology, strategically deplo 啐