Federal Reports

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to evaluate and obtain critical technology needed to identify, assess, breach, and remediate cross-border tunnels and has made progress in its efforts since our 2021 audit on border technology.   The Department of Homeland Security in January 2020 and January 2024 approved testing by the Cross-Border Tunnel Threat program of two critical tunnel detection technologies to evaluate whether they are functional and viable solutions.  At the time of this audit, these technologies were being tested for effectiveness in operational conditions and eventual vendor selection.   Based on CBP’s progress, it was too early for us to audit the effectiveness of these technologies and therefore we made no recommendations.  We note, however, that once CBP selects its tunnel detection technology solutions, the program’s success will require adequate program resources and effective coordination between CBP offices. 

• For more than a decade, the Postal Service has needed new delivery vehicles to replace its iconic Long-Life Vehicles (LLVs) and Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).
   
• The process to select, acquire, and deploy a custom Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) took around six years longer than planned.
   
• While the Postal Service’s commitment to acquiring a significant number of electric delivery vehicles aligns with decisions made by other delivery organizations, USPS must deal with a variety of factors such as organizational needs, vehicle operational capabilities, financial resources, and regulatory environments that similarly situated organizations do not.
   
• USPS’s experience with EV investments offers key lessons for future large procurement efforts, including setting clear goals and timelines that align with market dynamics, securing funding early, and considering commercially available solutions when feasible.
   
• The EV rollout also highlights the need for effective coordination with external stakeholders and the benefits of balancing process transparency and risk management with timely execution.

OWF did not efficiently manage IIJA fuels management funds, and the bureaus did not always expend IIJA funds in accordance with the Act.

This report provides the results of Objective 1, in which we determined whether the State of Illinois used FNS SNAP administrative funds to provide benefits to participants.