Us Border Patrol News

Twelve stowaways were found on a barge in San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received notification from a Coast Guard Station San Juan boat crew at 8:34 a.m., Saturday, of a possible stowaway sighting aboard the barge that was being towed by the U.S.-registered tugboat Sarah Dann.Coast Guard Sector San Juan’s Boarding Team responded to the report and found nine stowaways aboard the barge, including one who was unresponsive. The unresponsive stowaway was reported to be breathing and have vital signs.

At least eight people have died after two fishing boats capsized off the coast of San Diego, California, in an apparent migrant smuggling operation, emergency officials said on Sunday.San Diego emergency crews began a search and recovery operation late Saturday night, after receiving a 911 call from a Spanish-speaker about fishing boats in distress off the coast of San Diego's Black's Beach. Crews arrived to find two fishing boats capsized in a 400-foot (366 m) area, and eight bodies were recovered from the water and the beach…

The Coast Guard repatriated 18 Dominican migrants Friday morning to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, following two at-sea interdictions by Caribbean Border Interagency Group law enforcement authorities Tuesday just off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to the 18 migrants that were repatriated, eight of the interdicted migrants, who were men and also of Dominican nationality, are facing potential federal criminal immigration charges for attempted illegal reentry into a U.S. Territory. “The quick response and coordination by the Caribbean Border Interagency Group agencies involved allowed for the safe interdiction and removal of 26 migrants from a dangerous situation,” said Capt. Eric P. King, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander.

General Dynamics successfully completed the initial field deployment and test of the Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) upgrade for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This test demonstrated many technical capabilities of the RVSS system and is a key program milestone in its deployment schedule. U.S. Border Patrol agents are currently operating the RVSS in Nogales, Ariz., and CBP has also initiated deployments in both Naco and Douglas, Ariz. "The Remote Video Surveillance System is a critical element of our overall plan to secure the border, increase our mission effectiveness and protect our agents," said Mark Borkowski, assistant commissioner and chief acquisition executive of CBP's Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition.

On July 31, Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and CBP Office of Air and Marine rescued a man who was reported missing the previous morning. “Beyond our daily enforcement duties, we also have a responsibility to assist those in distress and our local communities,” said Chief Rodolfo Karisch. On July 30 at approximately 6 p.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents, assigned to the Brackettville Station, received a call from the Kinney County Sheriff's Office requesting assistance in the search for a missing person who suffers from dementia. The subject, who lives on a local ranch, had not been seen since going for a walk around 10 a.m. Brackettville agents and local law enforcement personnel searched throughout the night. At approximately 7:45 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard searched on Tuesday for two missing Cuban rafters after the 11 others on their homemade vessel were plucked safely on Monday from the waters off Miami. The most recent man saved was discovered at dusk on Monday about 10 miles (16 km) offshore and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Sabrina Laberdesque. The rescued members of the all-male group say they spent more than a week on the water trying to cross the 90-mile-wide (145-km-wide) Florida Straits that separate Cuba from the United States. It remains unclear how many of them will be allowed to remain in the United States and how many will be repatriated to Cuba. Under Washington's "wet-foot, dry-foot policy," Cuban migrants who make it onto U.S.

Scheduled for Thursday and Friday, federal, state, local and Canadian law enforcement partners will be brought together in a multi-agency exercise designed to prepare for and prevent cross-border terrorist and criminal activity on the Niagara River, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. There are no known threats against the area, but boaters may notice increased assets of law enforcement on the water. Organized by The Monroe County Emergency Management Office, the multi-jurisdictional exercise will be sponsored by The Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Border Patrol will conduct a Citizens Academy beginning Aug. 1, at the Niagara Falls Border Patrol Station. This program is designed to provide local residents an opportunity to learn about the U.S. Border Patrol and its role in the community, as well as provide an open dialogue with participants. The Citizens Academy program is a free outreach program designed to educate the public on the Border Patrol’s history, legal authority, mission, operations, and partnerships. Attendees receive approximately 15 hours of instruction, tours and hands on training from Border Patrol agents. The sessions will begin at 6:00 p.m., each Friday, for six consecutive weeks with the final session on Sept.

Texas Marine Unit Uses Yellowfin-built Shallow Water Vessels for Border Patrol missions. Menaced by Mexican drug cartels, the Texas Department of Public Safety operates a fleet of six shallow-water vessels it commissioned in late 2011 and 2012 to patrol its borders. The agency purchased the boats from Bradenton, Florida-based manufacturer Yellowfin Yachts as threats along the Rio Grande escalated. Yellowfin custom builds its 34-foot fishing boats for military and police purposes…

President Obama has appointed Alan Bersin Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Commissioner Bersin oversees the operations of CBP’s 57,000-employee work force and manages an operating budget of more than $11b. CBP’s mission is to protect the nation’s borders at and between the ports of entry from all threats while facilitating legitimate travel and trade. Commissioner Bersin is CBP’s third Commissioner following former Commissioner’s Robert C. Bonner and W. Ralph Basham. Former Commissioner Bonner was the first Commissioner at CBP’s inception March 1, 2003. CBP’s operational offices include the Office of Field Operations, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Office of Air and Marine and the Office of International Trade.

The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation as part of the recently formed Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG). Ramey Sector Border Patrol Chief Michael DeBruhl and the Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Capt. James E. Tunstall, signed the cooperation agreement in a ceremony held at the Coast Guard's Sector San Juan Headquarters. The agreement calls for the permanent assignment of Border Patrol Intelligence agents within the Coast Guard's Sector San Juan Operations Center located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. This collaboration will immediately improve overall intelligence services, intelligence gathering, and allow the Border Patrol to more efficiently support the Coast Guard's biometrics-at-sea program.

President George W. Bush is briefed on port security issues as he walks with Capt. James Tunstall, Commanding Officer at Group Charleston and Cmdr. Gary Merrick, Commanding Officer at Marine Safety Office Charleston and Captain of the Port. The President spoke to about 3000 people which include personnel from most branches of the Armed Forces, Citadel Cadets, U.S. Border patrol and many others from the Charleston area. USCG photo by PA2 Dana Warr

A Coast Guard law enforcement team from Station Mayport, Fla. assisted in the rescue and detention of an illegal migrant believed to be an Ukrainian citizen who reportedly jumped off the freighter Kamchatskiy Proliv as the ship departed the Port of Jacksonville about 12 a.m. yesterday. The crew of the fishing vessel Hooked on Snook, while participating in the Greater Jacksonville King Fish Tournament, sighted the man in the water three miles east of Mayport about 10:45 a.m. yesterday. The crew of the Hooked on Snook recovered the man out of the water and contacted the Coast Guard. A Coast Guard law enforcement team was dispatched to rendezvous with the Hooked on Snook. The Ukrainian man was taken into custody and brought to Coast Guard Station Mayport where he was turned over to U.S.

Larry Wieber's Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. (ACB) has maintained a low profile during its first four years of operation. With a growing demand for security craft, and ACB's stellar performances in front of government buyers, his company's success is now Bellingham, Washington's worst kept secret. Personal sacrifice and pain often accompany success. Larry Wieber never knew the pain part would be literal, not figurative. In the process of helping a television production company prepare a story on his unique craft before bad weather stopped filming, Wieber badly crushed one of his fingers while rolling one of his boats off its trailer.

Paul I. Perez, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Steven J Trent, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Frank Cioffi, Resident Agent-in-Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Lance Newman, Special Agent-in-Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), today announced the unsealing of indictments and the arrest of 14 individuals on charges that include social security fraud, possession of counterfeit alien registration card, and unlawful re-entry following deportation. This has been a yearlong investigation that culminated early today as federal, state, and local law enforcement began rounding up those individuals indicted.

In a trial run of new law enforcement boats, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a Mexican ship fishing illegally in federal waters on July 21, officials said. The Coast Guard confiscated the Mexican vessel, which had three Mexican citizens on board. The Coast Guard initially responded to a call from the USCG Cutter Brant for help in pursuit of another target. Two of the station’s new 33-foot safe boats responded. The station received three of the boats in June, but the vessels weren’t ready for missions until recently. The Island station was one of four Coast Guard stations to receive the special law enforcement boats, and two more vessels than other stations because of its proximity to the border. During the trial run, four vessels were spotted in U.S.

All American Marine Inc., launched a 56 x 21 ft. catamaran built under contract for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The high speed patrol vessel has been assigned to operate in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and its Tortugas Ecological Reserve off the Southern coast of Florida. The vessel will serve as a long-range law enforcement patrol boat in the lower Keys. The patrol vessel is owned and maintained by NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program in the Florida Keys. Daily vessel operations will be administered by FKNMS law enforcement officers. Law enforcement in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a cooperative partnership between NOAA and the State of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The U.S. Border Patrol issued a news release stating that three Filipino crewmembers of the M/V BALSA 58 have been arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle four citizens of the Dominican Republic from Haiti to the United States. The crewmembers were allegedly paid $21,000 for the smuggling attempt. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Source: HK Law

Coast Guard Cutter Legare is scheduled to return home today following a 44-day patrol covering the Chesapeake Bay and the Florida Straits. During the heightened state of readiness surrounding the anniversary of Sept. 11th, Legare spent more than 370 hours protecting the approaches to Chesapeake Bay. Legare queried more than 180 merchant vessels and boarded eight vessels inbound for Baltimore and Hampton Roads, ensuring only authorized vessels were allowed access to inland water. Legare’s vigilance during these security operations was highlighted Sept. 24th, when Legare conducted a port security boarding of the motor vessel Atlantic Lady. Members of the boarding team discovered excessive amounts of fuel and oil in the bilges and the vessel’s oil-water separator wasn’t working properly.