Kelly, Lankford, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Stop Drug Smuggling at the Southern Border
Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), James Lankford (R-OK), and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Actto support border law enforcement by providing additional personnel to scan cargo for illegal drugs and guns or human smuggling.
“Customs and Border Protection needs more trained personnel to stop illegal drugs, weapons, and human smuggling from entering our country,” said Kelly. “By adding image technicians to identify threats at ports of entry, we’re giving law enforcement another essential tool to secure the border while keeping trade flowing.”
“Adding more personnel at ports of entry will immediately provide our country with another layer of security to prevent traffickers from smuggling weapons or drugs across the border. Border law enforcement has repeatedly asked for more support to analyze cargo images in real time, so this bill also gives them tools they need to catch criminals and secure our border,” said Lankford.
Border law enforcement said that addressing this issue would help them better enforce the law at our ports of entry. The bill creates within Customs and Border Protection (CBP), positions for what are called “image technicians” who will review and assess scans of cargo images and either recommend entry to the primary inspection CBP officer or refer for further inspection any cargo they suspect may have illegal or illicit items.
The bill also creates the position of “supervisory image technicians” to review and assess difficult-to- review images in addition to the regular duties of image technicians. This position will also receive, report, and disseminate intelligence to and from the National Targeting Center to image adjudicators. The bill would also mandate training and annual assessments for image technicians, require the development of a workforce staffing model, and institute reporting requirements.
This legislation is supported by U.S. Travel, Border Trade Alliance, National Sheriffs Association, and National Association of Counties.
Click here to read the bill text.
