CBP has divided geographic responsibility for the southwest border among nine Border Patrol sectors, as shown in figure 1 (see app. II for general information about Border Patrol sectors). Each sector has a varying number of stations, with agents responsible for patrolling within defined geographic areas. Within these areas, Border Patrol has reported that its primary mission is to prevent terrorists and weapons of terrorism from entering the United States and also to detect, interdict, and apprehend those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle any person or contraband across the nation’s borders. Move mouse over the sector name to learn more about the sector. Each Border Patrol sector is further divided into stations. For example, the Tucson sector has divided geographic responsibility across eight stations, seven of which have responsibility for miles of land directly on the U.S.-Mexico border. Within the station areas Border Patrol refers to “border zones”—those having international border miles—and “interior zones”—those without international border miles. According to Border Patrol officials, zones allow sectors to more effectively analyze border conditions, including terrain, when planning how to deploy agents. Zone dimensions are largely determined by geography and topographical features, and zone size can vary significantly. See figure 2 for Tucson sector station and zone boundaries (see app. III for general information about the Tucson sector stations). Move mouse over the station name to learn more about the station. Border Patrol collects and analyzes various data on the number and types of entrants who illegally cross the southwest border between the land border POEs, including collecting estimates on the total number of identified—or “known”—illegal entries. Border Patrol collects these data composed of the total number of apprehensions, turn backs, and got aways as an indicator of the potential border threat across locations. Border Patrol reported that for nearly two-thirds of the remaining 1,120 southwest border miles, resources were in place to achieve a high probability to detect illegal activity, but the ability to respond may be compromised by insufficient resources or inaccessible terrain; while for the remaining border miles, insufficient resources or infrastructure inhibited detection or apprehension of illegal activity. its Fiscal Year 2010-2012 Annual Performance Report. DHS established an interim performance measure until a new border control goal and measure could be developed. Border Patrol issued its new 2012-2016 Strategic Plan in May 2012, stating that the buildup of its resource base and the operations conducted over the past two decades would enable the Border Patrol to focus on mitigating risk rather than increasing resources to secure the border. In contrast to the 2004 Strategy, which also recognized the importance of rapid mobility, the leveraging of partnerships, and accurate and useful intelligence, the new strategic plan places a greater emphasis on the integration of partner resources into operational planning and enforcement efforts, particularly partners external to DHS. (See app. IV for strategic goals and objectives presented in Border Patrol’s 2004 Strategy and 2012-2016 Strategic Plan.) Border Patrol apprehensions have decreased in the Tucson sector and across the southwest border, and DHS has reported data meeting its goal to secure the land border with a decrease in apprehensions. The decrease in apprehensions mirrored the decrease in estimated known illegal entries within each southwest border sector. Border Patrol officials attributed the decrease in apprehensions and estimated known illegal entries within southwest border sectors to multiple factors, including changes in the U.S. economy. While changes in apprehension levels provide useful insight on activity levels, other types of data may also inform changes in the status of border security, including changes in the percentage of estimated known illegal entries who are apprehended and who repeatedly cross the border illegally (recidivist rate), increases in seizures of drugs and other contraband, and increases in apprehensions of aliens from special interest countries (ASIC) that have been determined to be at a potential increased risk of sponsoring terrorism. Since fiscal year 2011, DHS has used changes in the number of apprehensions on the southwest border between POEs as an interim measure for border security as reported in its Annual Performance Report. In fiscal year 2011, DHS reported data meeting its goal to secure the land border with a decrease in apprehensions. These data show that Border Patrol apprehensions within each southwest Border Patrol sector decreased from fiscal years 2006 to 2011, generally mirroring the decrease in estimated known illegal entries within each sector. In the Tucson sector, our analysis of Border Patrol data showed that apprehensions decreased by 68 percent from fiscal years 2006 to 2011, compared with a 69 percent decrease in estimated known illegal entries, as shown in figure 3. (See app. V for additional information.) Border Patrol officials attributed the decrease in apprehensions and estimated known illegal entries within southwest border sectors to multiple factors, including changes in the U.S. economy and successful achievement of its strategic objectives. Border Patrol’s ability to address objectives laid out in the 2004 Strategy was strengthened by increases in personnel and technology, and infrastructure enhancements, according to Border Patrol officials. For example, Tucson sector Border Patrol officials said that the sector increased manpower over the past 5 years through an increase in Border Patrol agents that was augmented by National Guard personnel, and that CBP’s Secure Border Initiative (SBI) provided border fencing and other infrastructure, as well as technology enhancements. Border Patrol officials also attributed decreases in estimated known illegal entries and apprehensions to the deterrence effect of CBP consequence programs—programs intended to deter repeated illegal border crossings by ensuring the most efficient consequence or penalty for individuals who illegally enter the United States. One such multiagency initiative, Streamline, is a criminal prosecutions program targeting aliens who illegally enter the United States through designated geographic locations. Border Patrol collects other types of data that are used by sector management to help inform assessment of its efforts to secure the border against the threats of illegal migration, smuggling of drugs and other contraband, and terrorism. These data show changes in the (1) percentage of estimated known illegal entrants who are apprehended, (2) percentage of estimated known illegal entrants who are apprehended more than once (repeat offenders), (3) number of seizures of drugs and other contraband, and (4) number of apprehensions of persons from countries at an increased risk of sponsoring terrorism. In addition, apprehension and seizure data can be analyzed in terms of where they occurred relative to distance from the border as an indicator of progress in Border Patrol enforcement efforts. Border Patrol officials at sectors we visited, and our review of fiscal years 2010 and 2012 sector operational assessments, indicated that sectors have historically used these types of data to inform tactical deployment of personnel and technology to address cross-border threats; however, the agency has not analyzed these data at the national level to inform strategic decision making, according to Border Patrol headquarters officials. These officials stated that greater use of these data in assessing border security at the national level may occur as the agency transitions to the new strategic plan. The 2004 Strategy recognized that factors in addition to apprehensions can be used to assess changes in Border Patrol’s enforcement efforts to secure the border, including changes in the percentage of estimated known illegal entrants who are apprehended (apprehensions as a percentage of estimated known illegal entrants), and changes in the number and percentage of apprehensions made closer to the border. Border Patrol headquarters officials said that the percentage of estimated known illegal entrants who are apprehended is primarily used to determine the effectiveness of border security operations at the tactical— or zone—level but can also affect strategic decision making. The data are also used to inform overall situational awareness at the border, which directly supports field planning and redeployment of resources. Our analysis of Border Patrol data for the Tucson sector showed little change in the percentage of estimated known illegal entrants who were apprehended by the Border Patrol over the past 5 fiscal years. Specifically, our analysis showed that of the total number of estimated known aliens who illegally crossed the Tucson sector border from Mexico each year, Border Patrol apprehended 62 percent in fiscal year 2006 compared with 64 percent in fiscal year 2011, an increase of about 2 percentage points. Results varied across other southwest border sectors, as shown in appendix V. Over the last fiscal year, however, Border Patrol apprehensions across the southwest border and in the Tucson sector have occurred closer to the border. In the Tucson sector, for example, the percentage of apprehensions occurring more than 20 miles from the border was smaller in fiscal year 2011 than in fiscal year 2010, while a greater percentage of apprehensions in fiscal year 2011 occurred more than 5 to 20 miles from the border, as shown in figure 4. There was little change in the percentage of apprehensions within 1 mile of the border. Similarly, apprehensions across the southwest border have also moved closer to the border over time, with the greatest percentage of apprehensions occurring more than 5 to 20 miles from the border in fiscal year 2011. (See app. VI for additional information.) Of the 13 ranchers we spoke or corresponded with in the Tucson sector, 6 said they would like to see Border Patrol enforce closer to the border to prevent illegal entry and trespass on their properties. Generally, these ranchers indicated that the level of illegal migrants coming across their properties had declined, but said the level of drug smuggling had remained constant. They were most concerned about safety, but cited considerable property damage and concerns that illegal trafficking had affected land values and driven up costs in the ranching industry. Border Patrol officials in the Tucson sector said that some factors precluding greater border presence included terrain that was inaccessible or created a tactical disadvantage, the distance from Border Patrol stations to the border, and access to ranches and lands that were federally protected and environmentally sensitive. Border Patrol officials also said they have taken steps to address factors that prevent closer access to the border, such as establishing forward operating bases—permanent facilities in remote locations near the border—and substations closer to the border, and working with ranchers and the federal government to ensure access to protected lands.