Department of Homeland Security

From February 28 to March 2, 2023, we conducted unannounced inspections of four U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in the Laredo area, specifically three Border Patrol stations and one Office of Field Operations port of entry. Our inspection revealed instances of high time in...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not consistently target for additional inspection or evaluate potentially inadmissible international mail entering the United States through its nine International Mail Facilities (IMFs). Although IMFs faced challenges targeting mail and examining...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) uses the Centralized Area Video Surveillance System (CAVSS) at land ports of entry (LPOEs) to increase the safety of the public, employees, and property, but improvements are needed to address video surveillance system...

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) fiscal year 2021 pipeline security directives, if implemented, should strengthen pipeline operators’ posture against cyber threats. TSA considered and partially addressed stakeholder feedback when drafting these two directives. However, TSA did not...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) accounted for its firearms but did not always maintain accurate records for firearm locations or quantities of ammunition, as required. During our physical inventory of firearms in storage at 12 sites, we identified 126 firearms not located at the address...

Once a major system is fully deployed, it transitions to the sustainment phase, where Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-11 provides guidance to Federal agencies to conduct an operational analysis (OA) periodically to ensure systems continue to perform as intended. From fiscal years 2018...

The Department of Homeland Security does not have an up-to-date strategic plan to manage biometric capabilities across the Department. DHS issued a biometrics strategic framework covering 2015–2025 to address biometric capability gaps and advance biometric use across DHS.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not fully comply with Federal and departmental guidance for monitoring and overseeing transportation contracts. Specifically, ICE did not always appoint contracting officer’s representatives (COR) according to policy.

The Department of Homeland Security does not plan to apply the operating policies of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 23, Criminal Intelligence Systems Operating Policies, to the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology System (HART) because it has determined, and we concur...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) did not accurately measure and publicly report its progress in disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations (TCO) from fiscal years 2017 through 2022.