Ciscomani Leads Effort to Expedite Screenings at Ports of Entry 

The Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act (H.R. 1294) would create a new “image technician” position within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to expedite the scans of cargo coming into the United States to determine whether further inspection is necessary. It would also create a “supervisory image technician” position to review scans that are more difficult to assess. This would decrease wait times for legal commerce and allow CBP officers to better enforce the law at our ports of entry and prevent deadly substances, weapons, and other illicit contraband from entering our country.  

 

Arizona’s 6th Congressional district is on the frontlines of our nation’s border security crisis. Recently, CBP officers at the Port of Naco disrupted a drug smuggling attempt and seized 159 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $167,000. 

 

“In Pima County, fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death for people between 18 and 45 years old,” said Ciscomani, Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. “We must remain committed to securing the border and stopping the flow of this deadly poison and other contraband into our communities. This commonsense effort will add an image technician position to allow CBP officers to review what’s coming through in a more thorough and comprehensive manner. This will not only decrease wait times for legal commerce, it will prevent dangerous substances, weapons, and other illicit items from entering our communities. Law enforcement has previously called for this type of support and I am proud to lead this effort.” 

 

Ciscomani is joined by Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) in this effort. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is leading a companion bill in the Senate.  
 
“To effectively combat the flood of fentanyl threatening our communities and endangering our children, Congress must prioritize and deploy our frontline personnel in the most strategic and practical ways possible,” said Congressman Don Davis. 

 

“Adding more personnel at ports of entry will immediately provide our country with another layer of security to prevent traffickers from smuggling weapons or drugs across the border, said Lankford. “Border law enforcement has repeatedly asked for more support to analyze cargo images in real time, so this bill also gives them tools they need to catch criminals and secure our border.” 

 

This legislation is supported by US Travel, the Border Trade Alliance, the National Sheriffs Association, and the National Association of Counties, Chamberlain Distributing, Inc., and the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority 
 
“The BEST Act is a recognition that through technology we can make our nation safer. We can make trade flow more efficiently but, more importantly, by bringing trained technicians to review images and deploy AI in the cargo scanning environment, CBP personnel can focus on enforcement, preventing drugs from entering our nation,” said Josh Rubin, Chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority. “By placing technology in the hands of technicians, we enhance efficiency and will improve security,” added Rubin.  

  

 “Supply chains and trade flows grow more sophisticated every day and we need to make sure the CBP is equipped to meet the challenge. The BEST Act allows CBP to ensure that their highly trained personnel is focused on enforcement, while bringing on board people that are specialized on monitoring and interpreting the images generated by NII. This ensures the efficient use of resources, enhances security and ensures that trade continues to move at the speed of business,” said Jaime Chamberlain, President of Chamberlain Distributing, Inc. and past chair of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority. 

 

Full text of the bill can be found here.