U.S. Customs and Border Protection Archives

Border Authorities Detail Smuggling Routes, Warn of Greater Surge in Chinese Illegally Crossing Into US

March 31, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

Border authorities in the U.S. are expecting a further increase in the number of Chinese migrants crossing illegally at the southern border, and have identified key ways they are entering the country, according to an internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) document exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The document, which was circulated via an internal email to CBP personnel, warns of more Chinese nationals entering the U.S. via the southern border due to a broader message from smugglers about routes into the country. The document details key smuggling routes, and notes that the Chinese nationals are entering in higher numbers due to religious persecution against the Christian faith.

New U.S. Border Data: 284 Suspected Terrorists Apprehended So Far in Fiscal 2023

March 26, 2023March 25, 2023 The Center Square

Nearly 300 suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. in the first few months of fiscal 2023 as 28 members of Congress formed a new caucus to address the crisis at the northern border, where record numbers of foreign nationals continue to illegally enter from Canada.

The Northern Border Security Caucus, formed by U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, and Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is expressing concerns about “the increased human and drug trafficking, along with the decrease in Border Patrol agents and lack of security, along the U.S.-Canada border.”

Number of Illegal Migrants Evading Arrest Exploded by 900 Percent Along Northern Border Region

March 4, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

The number of illegal migrants that are known to have evaded arrest in a busy sector of the northern border is surging, according to Sean Walsh, National Border Patrol Council President for the Swanton sector, who spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The sector saw approximately 100 known gotaways in the entirety of fiscal year 2022, but has seen roughly 900% more gotaways already between October 2022 and February 2023, Walsh, whose region covers parts of New York and Vermont, told the DCNF. Border agents in the sector have seen an 845% surge in migrant apprehensions, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.

Border Patrol: Record Number of Chinese Nationals Entering U.S. Illegally

February 16, 2023 The Center Square

The number of Chinese nationals illegally entering the U.S. has significantly increased under the Biden administration, beginning around the 2020 election, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Nationwide, 18,395 Chinese nationals were apprehended in fiscal 2020; 23,471 in fiscal 2021; 27,756 in fiscal 2022; and 10,587 in the fiscal year to date.

Nearly 216,000 Apprehended, Gotaways Reported of Illegal Entries at Southern Border in January

February 13, 2023 The Center Square

At least 156,274 people illegally entered the U.S. in January, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data published on Friday, down 40% from 251,978 in December 2022, it says. The data excludes gotaway numbers referring to those who are known and reported to illegally enter between ports of entry, evade capture by law enforcement, and don’t return to Mexico or Canada.

Border Patrol Agents Report More than 300,000 Apprehensions, Gotaways in December Alone

January 23, 2023 The Center Square

At least 225,797 people were apprehended entering the U.S. illegally nationwide in December, according to official U.S. Customs and Border Protection data released late Friday.

Illegal Entries into Vermont Surge in November

December 19, 2022December 18, 2022 The Center Square

Foreign nationals illegally entering the U.S. are increasingly entering through Vermont at an unprecedented rate.

In October, the Swanton Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes all of Vermont, saw a 676% increase in apprehensions of illegal foreign nationals compared to last year, according to Border Patrol data. Agents apprehended 334 people from 19 countries in October, and the “upward trend continues,” Swanton Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert Garcia said.

Preliminary Border Data: Record Number of Apprehensions, Gotaways in November

December 9, 2022December 8, 2022 The Center Square

Preliminary U.S. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by The Center Square from a border agent shows record numbers of apprehensions and gotaways at the southern border in November.

Agents apprehended 212,608 illegal foreign nationals and recorded at least 93,461 who evaded law enforcement and are now living illegally somewhere in the U.S. Combined, they total at least 306,069.

New Fiscal Year Starts with Record Number of Migrant Encounters at Southern Border

November 16, 2022November 15, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered more than 230,000 migrants at the southern border in October, beginning fiscal year 2023 with a record surge, according to agency statistics released late Monday night.

Federal border authorities encountered 230,678 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in October, a 1.3% increase from the previous month, according to CBP. There was also a record number of migrants crossing the border in fiscal year 2022, with roughly 2.3 million migrants encounter

Analysis: Border Crossing Deaths Skyrocket Under Biden Administration

November 9, 2022November 8, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

Border security is a life-or-death issue with many implications. Beyond the economic and electoral effects of illegal immigration, violent criminals and highly lethal drugs often enter the U.S. through its porous southern border. In addition, hundreds of people die each year while trying to cross the border.

Annual totals of border crossing deaths are commonly published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within about five or six months of the close of the federal government’s fiscal year on September 30th.

Border Patrol Calls In ‘Suicidologist’ to Address Rising Suicides Among Rank-and-File

September 30, 2022September 29, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tapped a “suicidologist” to address the rising suicides among its ranks amid a surge in illegal migration at the southern border, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.

Dr. Kent Corso, who began the role in early 2021 during high migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, was the first to do so for any government entity, according to the Examiner.

Four More Texas Counties Declare Invasion at Southern Border, Bringing Total to 22

September 14, 2022September 13, 2022 The Center Square

The judges and commissioners of four more Texas counties have declared an invasion at the southern border, bringing to 22 the number of counties that have done so.

Jasper, Madison, Throckmorton and Wichita counties are the latest to declare an invasion.

Inspector General: DHS Failed to Properly Vet Afghan ‘Refugees’ During Evacuation

September 11, 2022September 10, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

On Tuesday, an inspector general’s report was released regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) handling of the vetting process for alleged “refugees” fleeing Afghanistan as the country collapsed last year.

The Daily Caller reports that the DHS Inspector General concluded that the agency failed to “properly” vet refugees who were determined later to be a “risk to national security,” bringing potential terrorists back to the United States while leaving behind many American citizens as the country fell into the hands of the Taliban.

Biden Admin Scraps Another Trump-Era Policy

August 10, 2022August 9, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

The Biden administration has ended a program used to expel migrants to Mexico as they await immigration proceedings, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement Monday.

The Trump-era policy, which is also known as “Remain in Mexico,” was long fought in the courts after the Texas attorney general sued the Biden administration for ending the program.

Migrant Encounters at U.S.-Mexico Border Hit Another Historic High

July 17, 2022July 16, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

The number of migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border decreased in June, but remained at a historic high, according to numbers released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Friday.

CBP encountered 207,416 migrants at the southern border, a 14% decrease compared to May. There were 92,274 migrants immediately expelled under Title 42, the public health order activated during the COVID-19 pandemic, in June.

Guatemalan President Says Biden‘s ‘Confusing’ Border Messaging Is Encouraging Smugglers to Exploit Children

July 4, 2022July 3, 2022 Admin

The Biden administration’s messaging on immigration has created “confusion” that human smugglers and traffickers have exploited, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview.

Giammattei said smugglers know it’s easier to get people into the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration as a family, and that smugglers have used children, whether biological or not, in order to get their clients across the border. He mentioned the Biden administration’s effort to codify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which prevents migrants brought to the U.S. as children from being immediately deported, as exacerbating the problem.

Border Agents Stop Driver Attempting to Smuggle More than Enough Fentanyl to Kill the Entire Population of San Diego

June 28, 2022June 27, 2022 Admin

Border Patrol agents in California on Monday seized enough fentanyl to kill over 2 million people. The population of San Diego is an estimated 1.4 million.

Agents in the El Centro border sector searched the vehicle at a highway checkpoint, where they found six black packages wrapped in cellophane hidden inside the car’s dashboard and air vents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Wednesday. The male driver, 53, and the female passenger, 27, in the car were both from Mexico and didn’t have the proper documents to be in the U.S.

Border Authorities Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill Millions

June 14, 2022June 13, 2022 Admin

Border authorities in Texas seized 22 pounds of fentanyl worth $339,300 that a smuggler was attempting to drive into the U.S. on Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be enough to kill a person, 22 pounds is 9,979,032 milligrams. Applying the DEA’s own metrics, this means the latest seizure is enough to kill 4,989,516 people.

Biden Administration on Pace to Make More Than 200K Border Detentions in March

March 25, 2022March 24, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

The Biden administration is likely to make more than 200,000 detentions at the U.S.-Mexico border in the month of March, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preliminary data obtained by The Washington Post.

The increase will mark the highest monthly total since August 2021, the Post reported. CBP detained nearly 7,500 migrants per day in custody in February.

Memo Instructs Border Officials to Waive Public Health Order for Ukrainians Seeking Asylum

March 19, 2022 Admin

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leadership is allowing officials to waive a pandemic-related public health order for Ukrainians seeking asylum at ports of entry at U.S. borders, according to a memo obtained by CBS News.

“The Department of Homeland Security recognizes that the unjustified Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis,” the executive director of CBP’s Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Matthew Davies, wrote in a memo, CBS News reported. “CBP is authorized, consistent with the Title 42 Order, on a case-by-case basis based on the totality of the circumstances, including considerations of humanitarian interests, to except Ukrainian nationals at land border ports of entry from Title 42.”

Border Patrol Crews Flying Aircraft from Texas, Florida Seized 4.7 Tons of Cocaine in Two Months

January 22, 2022January 21, 2022 The Center Square

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations crews operating P-3 aircraft from Texas and Florida participated in multi-agency counter narcotics operations that led to the seizure of 4.7 tons (9,475 pounds) of cocaine worth $179.2 million in a two-month timeframe, according to CBP.

Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents operating along U.S. borders, coastlines and territorial waters are especially trained to combat maritime smuggling. They’re tasked with interdicting unlawful people and cargo approaching U.S. borders and investigating criminal networks, providing domain awareness in air and maritime environments and responding to a range of contingencies.

Arrest Warrants Count as ID for Migrants at Airport Security, TSA Says

January 20, 2022January 19, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

Transportation Security Administration agent

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) disclosed to a congressional office that migrants flying without proper identification can use an arrest warrant as an alternate form of identification when presenting to airport security, according to a letter the Daily Caller News Foundation exclusively obtained.

Responding to Republican Texas Rep. Lance Gooden’s Dec. 15 inquiry about migrants flying across the country, TSA Administrator David Pekoske explained that certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents may be considered acceptable forms of alternate identification for non-citizens, including a “Warrant for Arrest of Alien” and a “Warrant of Removal/Deportation.”

“TSA’s response confirms the Biden Administration is knowingly putting our national security at risk,” Gooden told the DCNF. “Unknown and unvetted immigrants shouldn’t even be in the country, much less flying without proper identification.”

Cincinnati Border Patrol Says City’s Port Is Among Busiest for Smuggling

January 9, 2022January 8, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

In a Wednesday press release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a press release detailing its efforts to curb smuggling through the port in Cincinnati, which it says ranked fifth in the nation for smuggling busts in fiscal year 2021.

“From October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021, Cincinnati seized 6,738 shipments, ranking the port in fifth-place for seizures among all 328 CBP ports of entry nationwide,” the release said. “Additionally, Cincinnati agriculture specialists issued 7,240 Emergency Action Notifications (EANs), the highest number of agriculture seizures ever recorded at the port.”

Border Patrol Saw 134 Percent Increase in Fentanyl Seizures in Fiscal Year 2021

January 6, 2022January 5, 2022 Admin

The lethal synthetic drug fentanyl has been increasingly trafficked into the U.S., and, in fiscal year 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a 134% increase in seizures of the illicit drug.

Fentanyl is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, and a lethal dose is about 2 milligrams, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which has recently warned about the increase in fentanyl-laced pills cartels in Mexico are manufacturing with chemicals provided by China.

The drug is fueling an overdose epidemic in the U.S., and is the leading killer 18-45 year olds nationwide.

Border Patrol Agents Seize Record Amount of Drugs in November, Apprehensions Also Increase

January 3, 2022 The Center Square

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers apprehended more people in November than October and confiscated a record amount of drugs last month, according to its latest operational report.

In November at the southern border, encounters with unaccompanied minors increased by 9% from October, with family units by 5%, and with single adults also by 5%.

Customs and Border Protection Vaccination Rate Increased After Mandate Deadline

December 9, 2021 Admin

The number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees that are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 rose to 17,192 after the federal mandate deadline, according to a document obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The DCNF earlier reported that as of Nov. 14, 16,500 border agents were fully vaccinated, and 4,165 border agents were unvaccinated. The federal mandate deadline was Nov. 22.

Cincinnati Border Patrol Confiscates Fake COVID Vaccination Cards

September 18, 2021September 17, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Just a month after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Memphis, Tennessee announced that it had confiscated thousands of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards, CBP officials in Cincinnati made a similar bust.

“Since August 16, Cincinnati officers have seized five shipments containing a total of 1,683 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and 2,034 fake Pfizer inoculation stickers,” a CBP press release said.

America First Legal Requests Investigation into the Biden Administration’s Afghanistan Withdrawal, Demands Answers on ‘Vetting’ of Evacuees

September 2, 2021September 1, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

America First Legal is demanding an investigation into the Biden administration regarding its withdrawal from Afghanistan and is requesting answers from a number of government agencies over the handling of evacuees, according to a letter and six Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The group has asked the Department of Defense (D0D) acting inspector general for an investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, specifically into the reported “‘Kill List’ Given to the Taliban,” information revealing what the president knew from intelligence reports, details about the “abandoned equipment and assets” and about leaving Bagram air base, as well as information about the “effective deployment of US air force assets.”

Biden Administration Has Released over 7,000 COVID-Positive Migrants into Texas Since February

August 6, 2021August 5, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

The Biden government has released over 7,000 COVID positive illegal immigrants into the city of McAllen, Texas since mid February of 2021—including
over 1,500 infected migrants in just the past week, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported on Wednesday.

“Despite the City of McAllen and its community partners’ best efforts, the sheer number of immigrants being released into the city has become a crisis: a crisis the City of McAllen did not create and has proactively tried to avoid for seven years,” the city said in a statement.

Biden Admin Customs and Border Protection Admits to Releasing Illegal Alien Families Without Setting Court Dates

March 24, 2021March 23, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

Under the administration of Joe Biden, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun releasing entire families of illegal aliens back into the U.S. from their custody without setting a date for them to appear before an immigration court, as reported by Breitbart.

Breitbart’s Randy Clark, himself a veteran of the Border Patrol, said that CBP has sent notices to border patrol agents and other immigration enforcement authorities that families are to be released without a formal “Notice to Appear.” Two anonymous officials seemed to confirm Clark’s account.

“This is insane,” one official said. “It is another pull factor that will overwhelm us. We are creating an entirely different class of aliens we will have to deal with years from now. We will never find most of these aliens once they are released.”

Cincinnati Border Patrol Seizes Cocaine Covered ‘Frosted Flakes’

February 21, 2021February 20, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Law enforcement in Cincinnati intercepted a creatively designed ploy to smuggle drugs into the country, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release.

“On February 13, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati intercepted smuggled narcotics in a shipment of cereal originating from South America,” the release said. “The shipment contained about 44 pounds of cocaine coated corn flakes, which could have a street value of up to $2,822,400.”

President Trump Accepts DHS Chief Kirstjen Nielsen’s Resignation, Names Kevin McAleenan as Replacement

April 8, 2019April 7, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Chuck Ross President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Kirstjen Nielsen is resigning as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing an end to an at-times rocky relationship between the two. Trump said on Twitter that Kevin McAleenan, the current commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will…

Homeland Security ‘Begging Parents’ Not to ‘Put Their Children at Risk’ After Guatemalan Girl Dies

December 15, 2018December 14, 2018 Ohio Star Staff

by Hanna Bogorowski The Department of Homeland Security is “begging” parents to not put themselves or their children at risk following the death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl in the hospital hours after her father turned himself and his daughter in to Border Patrol officers in New Mexico. The…