TESTIMONY OF

TODD C. OWEN
Executive Assistant Commissioner
Office of Field Operations

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Department of Homeland Security

For a Hearing

BEFORE

United States Senate
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Homeland Security

ON“The Role of DHS in Stopping the Flow of Opioids & Other Dangerous Drugs”

May 16, 2018
Washington, D.C.

Introduction
Chairwoman Capito, Ranking Member Tester, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to appear today to discuss the role of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) in combating the flow of dangerous narcotics, including opioids, synthetic
opioids such as fentanyl, and methamphetamine, into the United States. The opioid crisis is one of
the most important, complex, and difficult challenges our Nation faces today, and was declared a
National Emergency by President Donald Trump in October of last year. 1 According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids – which include prescription opioids,
heroin, and synthetic opioids – killed more than 42,000 people in the United States in 2016. 2 The
threats posed by methamphetamine have remained prevalent; the rate of drug overdose deaths
involving methamphetamine more than doubled between 2010 and 2014. 3 The CDC attributed
7,663 overdose deaths in the United States to methamphetamine in 2016. 4
As America’s unified border agency, CBP plays a critical role in preventing illicit narcotics fromreaching the American public while facilitating lawful travel and trade, protecting the UnitedStates from terrorist threats, and preventing the illegal entry of inadmissible persons andcontraband. The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget includes $16.7 billion in total
discretionary and mandatory funding to help enable CBP to achieve our complex and vital mission
with the right combination of talented and dedicated personnel, intelligence-driven and risk-based
strategies, collaborative partnerships, tactical infrastructure, and advanced technology.
The recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 supports CBP’s mission throughinvestments in border infrastructure and technology, port security, and recruitment and retention
efforts. We are eager to put this funding to work to improve our nation’s security. CBP’s multilayered, risk-based approach to interdict drugs at and in between our Ports of Entry (POEs)including in the international mail and express consignment courier (ECC) environmentsleverages targeting and intelligence-driven strategies that enhance the security of our borders andour country. This layered approach reduces our reliance on any single point or program andextends our zone of security outward, ensuring our physical border is not the first or last line ofdefense, but one of many.
Narcotics Trends, Interdictions, and Challenges
Along the more than 5,000 miles of border with Canada, over 1,900 miles of border with Mexico,
and approximately 95,000 miles of shoreline, CBP is responsible for preventing the illegal entryof people and contraband at and between the POEs. Illicit drug interdictions in the borderenvironment is both challenging and complex. Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) andTransnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) continually adjust their operations to circumvent
detection and interdiction by law enforcement, quickly taking advantage of technological andscientific advancements and improving fabrication and concealment techniques.
1

Per https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-taking-action-drug-addiction-opioidcrisis/2
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/index.html
3
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_10.pdf.
4
https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

Page 1 of 9

In FY 2018 to-date, the efforts of Office of Field Operations (OFO) and U.S. Border Patrol(USBP) personnel resulted in the seizure of more than 545,000 lbs. of narcotics including over
38,000 lbs. of methamphetamine, over 35,000 lbs. of cocaine, and over 2,700 lbs. of heroin. 5 CBPseizures of illicit fentanyl have significantly increased from approximately two lbs. seized in FY
2013 to approximately 1,131 lbs. seized by OFO and USBP in FY 2017. 6
Approximately1,218lbs. of illicit fentanyl have already been seized in FY 2018. 7 Fentanyl is themost frequently seized illicit synthetic opioid, but CBP has also encountered 18 fentanyl
analogues. 8
DTOs seek to smuggle illicit narcotics, including methamphetamine and opioids, particularly
heroin, across our land borders and into the United States at and between our POEs, 9 and Mexican
manufacturers and traffickers continue to be major suppliers of heroin and methamphetamine to
the United States. The reach and influence of Mexican cartels, notably the Sinaloa, Gulf, andJalisco New Generation Cartels, stretch across and beyond the Southwest border, operating
through loose business ties with smaller organizations in communities across the United States.
The threat of these cartels is dynamic; rival organizations are constantly vying for control, and as
U.S. and Mexican anti-drug efforts disrupt criminal networks, new groups arise and form newalliances.
At the Ports of Entry
Smugglers use a wide variety of tactics and techniques to conceal drugs. CBP officers regularlyfind drugs concealed in body cavities, taped to bodies (body carriers), hidden inside vehicle seatcushions, gas tanks, dash boards, tires, packaged food, household and hygiene products, checked
luggage, and construction materials on commercial trucks. For example, on March 24, 2018, CBP
officers arrested an individual at Arizona’s San Luis POE after officers discovered more than 3.5
lbs. of methamphetamine, worth nearly $11,000, wrapped around his torso. CBP officers seized
the drugs and turned the arrested subject over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement –Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI). 10
Between October 1, 2010 and March 31, 2018, CBP conducted more than 84 million NonIntrusive Inspection (NII) examinations, resulting in more than 19,000 narcotics seizures and morethan $79 million in currency seizures. On April 15, 2018, CBP officers at the Brownsville, TX
POE used NII to inspect a personal vehicle, finding four packages of heroin with a total weight of
12 lbs. and one package of methamphetamine weighing 1.3 lbs. The combined estimated street
5Effective 03/31/2018 per https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
Per https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
7
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
8
These include: acetylfentanyl, butyrylfentanyl, β-hydroxythiofentanyl, α-methylacetylfentanyl,p_fluorobutyrylfentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, pentanoylfentanyl (a.k.a. valerylfentanyl), 2-furanylfentanyl, pfluoroisobutyrylfentanyl, n-hexanoylfentanyl, carfentanil, benzodioxolefentanyl, acrylfentanyl, 2,2'-difluorofentanyl,
methoxyacetylfentanyl, benzoylfentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, and hydrocinnamoylfentanyl.
9Heroin is also sometimes transported by couriers on commercial airlines. Heroin intercepted in the internationalcommercial air travel environment is from South America, Southwest Asia, and Southeast Asia.
10
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/san-luis-cbp-officers-bust-meth-smuggler
6Page 2 of 9

value of the narcotics from the seizure is approximately $348,000. CBP officers seized thenarcotics along with the vehicle, arrested the driver and turned him over to the custody of ICEHSI for further investigation. 11
The FY 2018 Omnibus provided $224.6 million for NII systems and opioid detection equipment.
The FY 2019 Budget request includes $44.2 million to build upon prior year investments and torecapitalize the current small scale and large-scale NII technology fleet. This funding will allow
CBP to remain on track to ensure the NII fleet is operating within its service life by FY 2024, andwill help CBP continue to use NII to safely, quickly, and effectively detect a wide range ofcontraband imported using a variety of conveyances, thereby facilitating lawful trade and travel.
Constructing and improving CBP’s physical infrastructure also contributes to the safety of our
Nation. CBP supports a vast and diverse real property portfolio, including more than 4,300 owned
and leased buildings, over 28 million square feet of facility space and approximately 4,600 acresof land throughout the United States. The FY 2018 Omnibus provided $14.8 million to CBP for
the critical furniture, fixtures, and equipment component of the General Services Administration’s(GSA) construction projects to modernize several land POEs. The FY 2019 President’s Budget
includes an additional $14.8 million to enable modernization of land POEs along the northern andsouthern borders and to complete additional enhancement and expansion projects within the OFO
portfolio. CBP is investing in modernizing our land POEs along the northern and southern borders
to ensure that CBP’s physical infrastructure is operationally viable for frontline and mission
support functions, including narcotics interdiction. Thanks to the funding provided in the FY 2018
Omnibus, CBP is working with the GSA to ensure that our priority requirements at Columbus,
San Ysidro and Calexico West ports of entry receive facilities enhancements and equipment
essential to the unique mission of CBP. We look forward to working with GSA and Congress toensure that our physical infrastructure meets CBP’s needs in FY 2019 and in the future. 12International Mail and ECC Facilities
While most illicit drug smuggling attempts occur at southwest land POEs, the smuggling of illicit
narcotics in the international mail and ECC environment poses a significant threat. Illicit narcotics
can be purchased from sellers through online transactions and then shipped via the United States
Postal Service (USPS) or ECCs. DTOs and individual purchasers move drugs such as illicit
fentanyl in small quantities, making detection and targeting a significant challenge. Follow-on
investigations, which are conducted by ICE-HSI, are also challenging because these shippers areoften not the hierarchically structured DTOs we encounter in other environments.
To combat this threat CBP operates within nine major International Mail Facilities (IMF)
inspecting international mail arriving from more than 180 countries, as well as 25 established ECC
facilities located throughout the United States. CBP officers utilize experience, advanced
targeting, and a variety of technologies including NII, chemical field testing equipment, wetchemical testing, and narcotics detection canines to target, detect, and presumptively identify
illicit drugs at international mail and ECC facilities. For example, on November 23, 2017, CBP
11

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/brownsville-port-entry-cbp-officers-seize-over-300k-heroinand.
12
Alexandria Bay, NY, Lewiston Bridge, NY, San Luis I, AZ, Otay Mesa, CA, and Blaine, WA have been identified
as priority requirements in the President’s FY 2019 budget.
Page 3 of 9

officers in Memphis, TN, seized over six pounds of methamphetamine in an ECC shipment
manifested as religious articles. ICE was notified and a controlled delivery was conducted that
resulted in the apprehensions of two individuals.
The majority of illicit fentanyl in the international mail and ECC environments is shipped inpurities of over 90 percent, whereas the majority of fentanyl in the land border environment isseized in purities of less than 10 percent. It is important to note that the fentanyl seized on theSouthern border in lower concentrations is often ready for sale to the end-user. The higher purityof fentanyl seized in the international mail and ECC environments is often intended to be mixed
and repackaged by a distributor. 13
In FY 2017, CBP made 118 seizures of illicit fentanyl totaling approximately 240 lbs. in the ECC
environment and 227 seizures totaling approximately 92 lbs. of illicit fentanyl in the international
mail environment. CBP also made 65 seizures of fentanyl at land POEs totaling approximately
853 lbs. In addition to illicit fentanyl, purchasers can access open source and dark web
marketplaces for the tools needed to manufacture synthetic drugs. Fentanyl, powdered fentanyl,
pill presses, and binding agents can all be purchased online and then shipped into the UnitedStates. In FY 2014, 24 seizures of pill presses and tablet machines were made by CBP officers.
The number increased to 92 in FY 2017, and as of March 2018, CBP has seized 64 pill presses in
FY 2018.
CBP Resources and Capabilities to Detect, Target and Interdict Illicit Narcotics
CBP, with the support of Congress, has made significant investments and improvements in our
drug detection and interdiction technology and targeting capabilities. The FY 2018 Omnibus
provided an increase of $30.5 million in operations and support funding to improve opioid
detection and laboratory services.
The need to rapidly reduce the flow of opioids into the United States inspired an innovative
approach to analyze and find potential solutions to the problem through both a CBP prize
challenge done in conjunction with the DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) andparticipating in the government-wide Illicit Drug Detection Integrated Project Team (IPT). Thisapproach will touch on the broader need to analyze the full delivery chain, and this initial study
will focus on operations at the IMFs to identify any non-materiel and/or materiel solution
approaches to improve field capabilities within 12-18 months.
CBP is also partnering with S&T to access emerging technologies and tools from start-ups andothers. These resources, along with enhanced information sharing and partnerships, are criticalcomponents of CBP’s ability to identify and deter the entry of dangerous illicit drugs in all
operational environments. CBP will continue to push for more efficient and effective ways tosupport our personnel and carry out our drug interdiction mission.

13

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), 2.2 lbs. (one kilogram) of pure fentanyl can makeapproximately 500,000 pills with a retail cost per pill between $10-$20. https://www.DEA.gov/druginfo/fentanylfaq.sthtml
Page 4 of 9

Advance Information and Targeting
At CBP’s National Targeting Center (NTC), advance data and access to law enforcement andintelligence records converge to facilitate the targeting of travelers and items of cargo that posethe highest risk to our security in all modes of inbound transportation. The NTC takes in large
amounts of data and uses sophisticated targeting tools and subject matter expertise to analyze,
assess, and segment risk at every stage in the cargo/shipment and travel life cycles. As the focal
point of that strategy, the NTC leverages classified, law enforcement, commercial, and opensource information in unique, proactive ways to identify high-risk travelers and shipments at theearliest possible point prior to arrival in the United States.
The FY 2018 Omnibus provided a $58.2 million increase for intelligence and targeting capabilities
and for expanded staffing at the NTC. The FY 2019 Budget proposes an increase of $26.9 million
over the FY 2018 Budget request, or $41.7 million over the FY 2018 Omnibus. This increase will
expand staffing through the hiring of 60 CBP officers 33 Intelligence Research Specialists, and 13
support positions, as well as enhance NTC analytical modeling capabilities and provide for
additional equipment. The NTC operates 24 hours a day with the mission of collaborating withfederal, state, local, and international partners to effectively identify, target, screen, and interdict
inbound and outbound passengers and cargo across all international modes of transportation thatpose a threat to national security, public safety, agriculture, lawful trade, and safe travel. Effective
targeting and interdiction prevents inadmissible high-risk passengers, cargo, and agriculture andbioterrorism threats from reaching U.S. POEs, extending our border security initiatives outward
and making our borders not the first line of defense, but one of many.
To bolster its targeting mission, the dedicated men and women of the NTC collaborate withcritical partners on a daily basis including ICE-HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), members of the Intelligence Community, and theUnited States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Investigative case data from our partners is fusedwith CBP targeting information to bolster investigations targeting illicit narcotics smuggling andtrafficking organizations. Moreover, NTC works in close coordination with several pertinent task
forces including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, the High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas, and the Joint Interagency Task Force-West, as well as the Department ofHomeland Security’s (DHS) Joint Task Forces.
Advanced Electronic Data
CBP, with the support of Congress, has made significant investments in and improvements to ourdrug detection and interdiction technology and targeting capabilities in the international mail and
ECC environments. CBP receives advance electronic data (AED) on over 40 percent of allinternational mail shipments with goods. An increasing number of foreign postal operators
provide AED to USPS, which is then passed on to CBP to target high-risk shipments.
CBP and USPS now have an operational AED targeting program at five of our main IMFs withplans for further expansion. USPS is responsible for locating the shipments and delivering them to
CBP for examination. Thus far in FY 2018, CBP has interdicted 186 shipments of fentanyl at theJohn F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) IMF, a participant in the AED pilot program. One
hundred and twenty-five of those interdictions can be attributed to AED targeting.

Page 5 of 9

For example, on January 9, 2018, CBP officers assigned to the JFK IMF processed one seizure ofbenzoyl fentanyl that arrived in an e-packet mail parcel from China. The parcel was targeted in the
Automated Targeting System (ATS) using AED. During the examination of the parcel, an
unknown white powder was discovered. The parcel was referred for testing and was positively
identified as benzoyl fentanyl. The benzoyl fentanyl was seized and, as a result, a joint law
enforcement controlled delivery was conducted and a suspect was arrested and charged.
CBP supports efforts to expand the ability of USPS to collect a customs fee to help offset the costassociated with facility upgrades, to develop new scanning technology, and to increase theavailability of AED for international mail.
CaninesCanine operations are an invaluable component of CBP’s counternarcotic operations. The CBPCanine Training Program maintains the largest and most diverse law enforcement canine training
program in the country. At our Nation’s POEs and at preclearance locations abroad, CBP officers
utilize specially trained canines for the interdiction of narcotics, firearms, and undeclaredcurrency, as well as in support of specialized programs aimed at combating terrorism andcountering human trafficking. Concealed Human and Narcotic Detection Canines are trained todetect concealed humans and the odors of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, hashish,
ecstasy, fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.
The use of canines in the detection of narcotics is a team effort. CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific
Services Directorate (LSSD) produces canine training aids and provides analytical support to the
CBP Canine Training Program, including controlled substance purity determinations, pseudotraining aid quality analyses, and research on delivery mechanisms that maximize safe vapordelivery during training exercises. Most recently, OFO’s National Canine Program, incoordination with LSSD, assessed the feasibility of safely and effectively adding fentanyl as a
trained odor to deployed narcotic detection canine teams. On June 23, 2017, the Office of Training
and Development’s CBP Canine Training Program successfully completed its first Fentanyl
Detection Pilot Course. This added the odor of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to six OFO canine
handler teams in the international mail and ECC environments. Beginning October 1, 2018, all
new OFO canine handler teams graduating from the CBP Canine Training Program will havesuccessfully completed a comprehensive CBP Canine Detection Team Certification to include theodor of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. Today, all OFO Concealed Human and Narcotic Detection
canine teams across all of OFO’s operational environments have completed fentanyl training.
During FY 2017, OFO canine teams were responsible for $26,813,863 in seized property,$1,905,925 in fines, $36,675,546 in seized currency, $29,674,839 in Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network (FINCEN) actions, 197 firearms and 22,356 rounds of ammunition, 79
concealed humans and 384,251 lbs. of narcotics. In FY 2018 to-date, OFO canine teams have been
responsible for $7,322,522 seized property, $411,073 in fines, $7,951,376 in seized currency,$9,178,971 in FINCEN actions, 150 firearms, 5,418 rounds of ammunition, 105 concealed
humans and 187,409 lbs. of narcotics. 14

14

Effective 4/24/18
Page 6 of 9

For example, on April 27, 2018 a CBP canine alerted officers to 70 lbs. of methamphetamine at
Arizona’s San Luis POE within the quarter panels of a vehicle. Officers discovered more than 70
lbs. of methamphetamine, worth almost $211,000, within the vehicle’s quarter panels. The vehicle
and drugs were seized and the subject was arrested and turned over to ICE-HSI. 15
Workforce Protection
CBP’s frontline operations, including drug interdiction activities, are extremely hands-on. The
potential for contact with dangerous substances–including illicit synthetic opioids–is a very real
health and safety risk to law enforcement personnel and canines. Fentanyl is approximately 50-100
times more potent than morphine, and when in powder form at first glance, it is often mistaken forother drugs which appear as white powders, such as cocaine or heroin.
Explicit instructions, including guidance to canine handlers, have been distributed to the field
regarding the safe handling of fentanyl. In October 2015, CBP completed the first phase of a pilot
program to train and equip CBP officers with naloxone, a drug for the treatment of opioid
overdose. CBP officers at seven participating POEs 16 received training on recognizing the signs
and symptoms of opioid overdose, administering naloxone, and CPR. In February 2016, CBP
expanded the pilot to an additional eight POEs, deploying 602 intranasal naloxone administration
kits. 17 To date, OFO has deployed over 1,100 two-dose boxes of naloxone to the field. Additional
naloxone is being deployed to field offices upon request, as additional personnel are trained in its
administration. The naloxone program has also expanded to LSSD and the USBP. CBP was thefirst Federal law enforcement agency to implement such a program.
Growing CBP’s Workforce
The people of CBP do the critical, sometimes dangerous work of keeping Americans safe. The FY
2018 Omnibus provides $7.7 million to support the hiring of 328 new CBP officers, in addition to
the 23 new officer positions requested in the FY 2018 Budget – a total increase of 351 CBP
officers over the FY 2017 level. CBP officers are multi-disciplined and perform the full range ofinspection, intelligence analysis, examination, and law enforcement activities relating to thearrival and departure of persons, conveyances, and merchandise at air, land, and sea POEs,
including the interdiction of narcotics at POEs and in the international mail and ECC
environments.
CBP has faced challenges in the past to meet our hiring goals. However, we have taken decisive
action, while recognizing that much work remains to be done to ensure we have enough officers
and agents to meet our needs well into the future. In the last two years, more than 40 individual
improvements to CBP’s hiring process have resulted in significant recruitment and hiring gainsdespite record low unemployment around the United States and intense competition for highlyqualified, mission-inspired people. With support from Congress, we are making investments in
our capability and capacity to hire across all frontline positions. CBP is focusing on efforts to
attract qualified candidates and expedite their progress through the CBP hiring process.
15

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/san-luis-cbp-officers-intercept-meth-shipment
Phase 1 Naloxone Pilot Program POEs include El Paso, Laredo, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, John F.
Kennedy International Airport, San Luis, San Ysidro, and Seattle/Blaine.
17
Phase 2 Naloxone Pilot Program POEs include Miami Int’l/Miami Seaport, Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Newark,
Chicago, Houston Int’l/Houston Seaport, and Dallas.
16

Page 7 of 9

CBP has embraced the use of social media, and is working to more effectively identify the best
return on investment in digital media. CBP has introduced a mobile app for applicants in our
hiring pipeline to keep them engaged during the process. CBP is also are going to introduce an“applicant care” component whereby a dedicated employee is assigned to an applicant to help
them navigate the process. CBP is leveraging private sector expertise and experience in recruiting
and human resources to provide additional capacity.
CBP’s streamlined frontline hiring process has led to significant reductions in the average time-tohire. In the last 12 months close to 60 percent of new CBP officers on-boarded in 313 days or
fewer, with more than 19 percent on-boarding within 192 days. While work remains to be done toimprove the process, the current overall CBP officer average of 293 days to on-board is asignificant improvement from the 469-day overall baseline established in January 2016. This
streamlined process has helped us to grow our workforce by reducing the number of qualified
candidates who drop out due to process fatigue or accepting more timely job offers elsewhere.
CBP’s background investigation time is approximately 90 days for a Tier 5 level investigation,
which is required for all of CBP’s law enforcement officer applicants and 90 percent of CBPapplicants overall. This is considerably faster than the government average for the same level
investigation. CBP is also recognized as having a best practice quality assurance program, which
other agencies regularly visit CBP to learn about.
In addition, to improve CBP officer staffing at certain locations, CBP utilizes group incentives
such as recruitment incentives for several hard-to-fill locations, including Raymond, Montana;
Jackman/Colburn, Maine; and many locations across Texas, Arizona, North Dakota, and southern
California.
As a result of these and other improvements, CBP’s FY 2017 hiring totals surpassed FY 2016
totals, including increases of 21 percent for CBP officers. The total number of CBP officer
applicants increased by 89 percent between FY 2015 and FY 2017, including a 45 percent
increase from FY 2016 to FY 2017.
Information Sharing and Operational Coordination
Substantive and timely horizontal and vertical information sharing is critical to targeting andinterdicting illicit drugs. CBP works extensively with our Federal, state, local, tribal, andinternational partners and provides critical capabilities toward the whole-of-government approachto address drug trafficking and other transnational threats at POEs, in our IMFs and ECCs, andalong the southwest border, northern border, and coastal approaches. Our targeting, detection andinterdiction efforts are enhanced through special joint operations and task forces conducted under
the auspices of multi-agency enforcement teams. These teams are composed of representatives
from international and Federal law enforcement agencies who work together with state, local, andtribal agencies to target drug and transnational criminal activity, including investigations involving
national security and organized crime.

Page 8 of 9

CBP hosts monthly briefings/teleconferences with Federal, state, and local partners regarding thecurrent state of the border – the northern border and southwest border – to monitor emerging
trends and threats and provide a cross-component, multi-agency venue for discussing trends andthreats. The monthly briefings focus on drugs, weapons, and currency interdictions and alienapprehensions both at and between the POEs. These briefings/teleconferences currently include
participants from: the Government of Canada, the Government of Mexico, DHS, ICE, U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG), DEA, FBI, U.S. Northern Command; Joint Interagency Task Force-South, Bureauof Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Naval Investigative
Command, State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers, and other international, Federal, state,
and local law enforcement as appropriate.
Under DHS’ Unity of Effort initiative and with the establishment of three new DHS Joint Task
Forces (JTF) CBP is enhancing our collaboration with other DHS components to leverage theunique resources, authorities, and capabilities of each agency to more effectively and efficiently
execute our border security missions against DTOs and other threats and challenges. JTF
operations also increase information sharing with Federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies, improve border-wide criminal intelligence-led interdiction operations, and addresstransnational threats.
Collaboration with our partners yields results. For example, the Chicago Field Office Tactical
Analytical Unit initiated “Operation Mad Dog” in February 2017 to target international mailshipments suspected of containing illicit fentanyl and refer those shipments to our law
enforcement partners across the country- including ICE-HSI and state, local, and tribal partnersfor action. Targeted suspect shipments were intercepted and examined in IMFs based on
information provided by our law enforcement partners and the NTC, as well as open-source
information. Controlled deliveries have resulted in 37 arrests. Successes attributed to thisOperation to-date also include the seizure of over 57 lbs. of fentanyl, firearms, cash and cryptocurrency, and the disruption of a major domestic dark web distributor of illicit fentanyl.
CBP is a key partner in the implementation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s(ONDCP) Heroin Availability Reduction Plan (HARP). CBP also utilizes the Department ofJustice’s Nationwide Deconfliction System operated by the DEA, conducting interagency
deconfliction and coordination, and is working with the Heroin and Fentanyl Working Group at
the DEA Special Operations Division, alongside ICE-HSI.
Conclusion
The FY 2019 President’s Budget recognizes the serious and evolving threats and dangers our
Nation faces each day. With continued support from Congress, CBP, in coordination with ourpartners, will continue to refine and further enhance the effectiveness of our detection andinterdiction capabilities to combat transnational threats and the entry of opioids,
methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs into the United States.
Chairwoman Capito, Ranking Member Tester, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I look forward to your questions.

Page 9 of 9