DHS IG: CBP Significantly Underuses Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems at Ports of Entry
CBP has not fully used its large-scale, non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems at U.S. ports of entry, where only 33% of the systems acquired between 2000 and 2024 have been installed, according to a June 16 DHS Office of Inspector General report made public this week.
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Because CBP didn't fully leverage its NII systems to detect contraband coming into the U.S., the agency is "potentially wasting taxpayer funds, missing opportunities to detect and seize contraband, and losing an important tool to fight the fentanyl epidemic," the report said.
CBP purchased 150 NII systems between 2020 and 2024, deploying and installing only 50 of them at ports of entry. Of the remaining 100 NII systems, 21 have been deployed but not installed, 31 are being built and awaiting delivery, and 43 are still in storage, with the value of those still in storage at over $96 million, the report said.
Those 150 NII systems consist of 90 low-energy portals, 43 multi-energy portals and 17 high-energy rail systems.
Meanwhile, some existing NII systems already deployed at ports of entry were out of operation for extended periods of up to a year, including those that serve the Southwest border, the report said.
Between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, 166 installed NII systems, or 46% of the total 361 systems, weren't operational for 400,369 cumulative hours, the report said.
"We found that CBP did not effectively plan and manage the large-scale NII program, which led to the identified deficiencies. CBP did not follow Department of Homeland Security acquisition policy, did not consider relevant information during planning, and did not have a well-defined maintenance and sustainment plan for large-scale NII," the report said.
The report issued four recommendations to CBP, and the agency concurred with all of them. CBP also said, according to the report, that the NII systems are only one of multiple tools within its enforcement portfolio to detect and prevent contraband.
The first recommendation is for the executive assistant commissioner of the Office of Field Operations to develop and implement a plan to deploy and install the NII systems identified in the report.
The second recommendation is for the executive director of CBP’s Integrated Logistics Division to develop and implement policies and procedures, as required by the modified maintenance contracts, that would hold vendors accountable by tracking and applying any disincentives for longstanding and ineffective repairs.
The third recommendation is for the executive assistant commissioner of the OFO's Non-Intrusive Inspection Division to develop and implement guidance to ensure non-intrusive inspection utilization data is recorded in OFO systems accurately to include equipment downtime. The fourth recommendation is for this division to update guidance to ensure non-intrusive inspection operational interruption data recorded reflects the reasons for an operational disruption.