US/Customs and Border Protection

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Group.png US/Customs and Border Protection   History CommonsRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Patch of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.svg
AbbreviationCBP
Predecessor• United States Department of Agriculture
• US Border Patrol
• United States Customs Service
HeadquartersRonald Reagan Building, Washington D.C.
LeaderU.S. Customs and Border Protection/Commissioner
SubgroupsUnited States Border Patrol
Staff62,450
Exposed byJohn Carman, Sandy Nunn

The United States Customs and Border Protection is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs, and immigration.

Global Surveillance

On March 11, the US Customs and Border Protection rolled out a new mass surveillance project at Washington DC airport, using computers to recognize people's faces in real time. This is reportedly only the first of at least three "Targeted Biometric Operations" experiments.[1]

Seizure of electronic devices

The CBP seizes electronic devices, either on entry to the USA or sometimes on travel within the USA,[2] and send them off to a forensics lab for tests that could take weeks or months, and require that people who enter pay to get their devices returned, even if no wrong doing is found or alleged. While observing that "the vast majority of staff to be pleasant and competent", The Register advised would be visitors to the USA: "in short, don't bring any data or software into the country you don't want to surrender to border officials."[3]

Retina Scanning on departure

By 2017, passengers departing the US were being retina scanned and images matched against their passports.[4]

Corruption

John Carman has testified about corruption within the CBP.[5]

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References