American Military University HLSS311 Border and Coastal Security Professor Webster January 14, 2018 Introduction It is undeniable that there are so many people who have bad intentions and are trying their best to get to America so that they can carry out their evil plans. There are also many criminal groups and syndicates that like to send dangerous and illegal materials to America in the hopes of making a lot of money from these things. Fortunately, there is U.S. Customs and Border Protection working to ensure that the American people are protected from these threats, as these dangerous people and materials will never be allowed into America and its borders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Discussion The history of U.S. Customs and Border Protection dates back to 1789, when President George Washington approved the Tariff of 1789 which legalized the process of obtaining duties on imports (Warner, 2010, p. 12). This became the U.S. government's strategy at the time to obtain the funds it needed to recover from the devastation caused by the American War of Independence. It was also during this year that the United States Customs Service was officially established. This agency became the government's primary source of funding over the next century and successfully ensured that America's progress and development in building necessary infrastructure would continue. The United States Customs Service was also responsible for acquiring important territories like Florida and Louisiana, as well as building important railroads and schools throughout the country. Thus, America would not be the superpower it is today without the major contributions made by the United States Customs Service. This agency worked hard to ensure that America was on the right direction and had the money it needed to improve its infrastructure that was used by people and made their lives better. The end of the Civil War prompted several states to impose whatever immigration laws they wanted. This created chaos in America, and the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in 1875 that setting immigration laws should be left to the federal government, not local governments. The Immigration Act was implemented in 1891 and created an agency responsible for determining which immigrants will be allowed into America and which will be denied entry for various reasons (Philpott, 2015, p. 122 ). This agency employed people based at America's major ports of entry and checked immigrants' manifests. It was evident during the 1900s that Congress's primary concern on immigration was protecting people's employees and wages. Thus, this approach transformed immigration into a business issue rather than a profit issue. This paved the way for the integration of immigration into the remit of the Ministry of Commerce and Labor at the beginning of the 20th century. The end of World War I prompted the government to streamline the entry into America of immigrants arriving mostly from Europe. This effort became evident when laws were imposed in the 1920s to reduce the number of immigrants by setting a limit for each nationality based on what previous U.S. census statistics indicated. The US government reduced the number of visas it offered each year,and the immigrants who managed to obtain them were the only ones allowed to enter the American borders. This was a conscious effort by the government to keep America from becoming overwhelmed by the sheer number of immigrants from Europe who were all trying to get a chance at a better life in America. During the time of President FranklinD. Roosevelt, he ensured that immigration was already the responsibility of the Justice Department. Currently, Customs and Border Protection is under the control of the Department of Homeland Security and this began in 2003. It is estimated that Customs and Border Protection is made up of nearly 60,000 workers with various roles and responsibilities. This agency is headed by a commissioner who is currently Kevin McAleenan. He began his term in January 2017. McAleenan is supported by Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello and his main responsibility is to ensure that the U.S. Border Patrol will always be effective. There are several agencies that make up Customs and Border Protection. For example, there is Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and its objective is to protect the population and important infrastructure of the United States by taking full advantage of its existing air and maritime assets to identify and stop possible attacks terrorists, shipments of prohibited goods, and the illegal entry of immigrants (Bullock, 2015, p. 248). Air and Sea Operations have the unique ability to provide air and sea support to various agencies and ensure that America's borders will always be protected. To achieve its goals, Air and Marine Operations is comprised of at least 1,200 workers located at various locations across America. There are at least 250 air assets and 300 sea assets that can be used by air and sea operations workers. Air assets consist of aircraft used regularly for surveillance, patrol and apprehension purposes. On the other hand, maritime assets are used to prevent and apprehend smugglers who use boats and ships to transport their contraband to U.S. borders. These marine assets are fast, reliable and equipped with the latest technology. These air and sea assets and impressive technologies make it easier for air and sea operations workers to do their jobs protecting America's borders from threats. The Office of Field Operations (OFO) is another Customs and Border Protection agency. Workers in this agency have the authority to screen, apprehend, and prevent suspicious people or materials from entering into or out of America (Schied, 2010, p. 43). America implements certain laws regarding exporting and importing that must be followed at all times. So, if tourists entering the country attempt to bring goods and other materials that violate these laws, they will be arrested and their cargo confiscated. Even animals and plants that are attempted to be introduced into America are controlled by Office of Field Operations workers because there is always a possibility that these animals and plants may become infected or contaminated with disease. Canine teams are also used by Office of Field Operations workers to help them identify the presence of illegal drugs, immigrants hiding somewhere, contraband, and hidden money that might be difficult to recognize for workers. Finally, there is the United States Border Patrol. America's frontieris difficult to determine, especially when people roam open land. That's why Border Patrol agents use many strategies and technologies to make their jobs easier. For example, sensors have been installed in specific areas along the border to identify the presence of individuals or cars entering the country illegally. Border Patrol agents are constantly watching their monitors to see what's happening at the border, and they also have their night vision equipment so that those who try to enter America illegally at night will still get arrested. Air, land and sea vehicles are used by Border Patrol agents, making it easier for them to bypass the border and catch those trying to escape. The Border Patrol is fully ready and capable of protecting the U.S. border. Under the law, Customs and Border Protection has the ability to inspect shipments destined within or outside America. He can confiscate stolen, illegally imported or smuggled materials. If the importation of certain material is prohibited or restricted by US laws relating to personal safety, this material will be confiscated. If the material does not have a government license required for importation, it will be confiscated. If the packaging of the material does not comply with the laws in force in the United States, it will be confiscated. If the material has already been deliberately marked multiple times and no longer complies with US laws, it will be confiscated. If the documents provided to prove the validity of the importation of the material are found to be false, the material will eventually be confiscated. The penalties specified by the Customs Act of 1930 are those applied when dealing with confiscated imported materials (Hinkelman, 2003, p. 289). There will be fines imposed on people who import, attempt to import or assist in the importation of materials illegally. In the event of fraud, the highest penalty will be the local value of the material. In matters of gross negligence, the highest sanction will be a possible loss of income multiplied by four. The bottom line here is that Customs and Border Protection ensures that those who make the mistake of trying to smuggle imported materials into America pay a heavy price. Customs and Border Protection officers have been properly trained and experienced enough to handle the inspection of imported materials, so they will eventually know whether to confiscate these materials or not. This is how strict the oversight of imported products is in America and Customs and Border Protection is at the forefront of ensuring that nothing illegal can enter America that could potentially harm or cause problems for the population. Customs and Border Protection officers have their own specific designations. For example, in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), certain CBP officers have the authority to apprehend, search, confiscate, carry weapons, and execute warrants. These individuals help in the fight against terrorism by identifying suspicious people attempting to enter America. CBP officers help make society more peaceful by stopping crime. They arrest people involved in trafficking illegal drugs, pornography, weapons smuggling and other fraudulent activities. Those who wish to become CBP officers must complete training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. This is where trainees learn important skillsthat they must acquire to become effective long-term CBP officers. Training typically lasts four to five months to ensure trainees are fully prepared before jumping into action. Agriculture specialists also work under the direction of the Office of Field Operations. Candidates undergo three months of training before being certified to fill the position (Paynich, 2011, p. 91). These workers are those found in airports, seaports, and other areas of entry throughout America. Agricultural specialists may also be designated in certain countries by order of the U.S. government to inspect agricultural products and ensure that they are all safe and free of contamination before being allowed to enter America. Thus, agricultural specialists play a huge role in keeping the American population safe, as harmful animals and plants will never have the chance to spread across America and cause further damage and devastation. There is no doubt that contaminated plants and animals will cause illness and health problems to people if they consume them. Agriculture specialists have the ability to check materials or packages entering the country and confiscate anything suspicious they see. They can impose fines on violators. Finally, there are the import specialists who work in the Office of Field Operations. These are people with the knowledge and expertise to determine which products or materials will be allowed into America and which products will need to be rejected for various reasons (Sherman, 2009, p. 5). There is no doubt that the job of import specialists is very difficult because millions of imported products enter America every day. However, these imported products are not all legal and acceptable as there are also many of them that are contraband, counterfeit or too dangerous for the population. This is the reason why import specialists must be very meticulous in inspecting imported products because any mistake could cause so much trouble and damage to the American people. There may be cases where import specialists would be appointed abroad to check and inspect international factories for possible violations committed by them. On the US Border Patrol side, the workers here are called Border Patrol Agents. These are the people who regularly travel across U.S. borders to prevent people from entering or leaving America illegally. Border Patrol agents identify and stop the entry of contraband and illegal immigrants into America. They have the power to arrest individuals who are found to be illegal immigrants living in America. Border Patrol Agents help reduce the presence of crime in society and improve the lives of people living near U.S. borders. It is evident that Border Patrol agents are very active and carry out many responsibilities, which simply means that they play an important role in maintaining safety and order in society. Many people may attempt to enter the country illegally, but they can expect to ultimately be arrested because Border Patrol agents are very competent at their jobs. Contraband will have no chance of escaping the watchful eyes of Border Patrol agents. When it comes to Air and Maritime Operations (AMO), they have workers called Aviation Enforcement Officers, Agentsair interdiction agents and maritime interdiction agents. These are the people who use Customs and Border Protection's most advanced air, land and sea assets to ensure that terrorism will be controlled and the entry of aliens and illegal materials into America will be prevented. Air and sea operations are properly funded and the officers who work here maximize their knowledge, skills and experience whilst taking advantage of the impressive range of air, land and sea assets at their disposal. Customs and Border Protection has always demonstrated a willingness to adjust its rules and policies to ensure it can meet the challenges of a changing world. For example, Customs and Border Protection recently asked its agents to ensure they have reasonable suspicion before embarking on inspections of cell phones and tablets belonging to people traveling to the inside or outside America (DeCell, 2018). This rule change allows officers to continue to verify information stored on mobile phones and tablets. However, officers are no longer permitted to make a copy of this information or use another device to perform analysis of this information, unless they have a logical suspicion that people possessing these cell phones and tablets attempt or plan to commit certain crimes. . There is no doubt that the use of cell phones and tablets for criminal purposes has become commonplace these days, which is why Customs and Border Protection has just ensured that their agents will be ready and empowered to carry out inspections of suspicious persons as well as the mobile phones and tablets they possess. It is always better to prevent crimes than to manage their consequences. That's why Customs and Border Protection has done an excellent job providing support and accountability to its officers through this initiative. It's also good to know that the Trump administration has demonstrated an immense desire to help Customs and Border Protection improve. For example, the Trump administration has already approved the INTERDICT Act which gives $9 million to the agency so it can acquire the necessary devices and technologies it needs to identify the presence of illegal drugs among people who visit in America (Longmire, 2018). ). There is no denying that drug cartels and syndicates around the world will never stop trying to get their illegal drugs across America's borders. This is why Customs and Border Protection must redouble its efforts to ensure that these illegal drugs are immediately identified and confiscated. The Trump Administration's recent decision is an excellent sign that Customs and Border Protection will continue to have the financial support it needs to be able to effectively fulfill its roles. In addition to the INTERDICT Act, the Trump administration also promised to allocate $300 million for Customs and Border Protection to add 5,000 agents to its workforce (Rodriguez, 2017). There is no doubt that one of the constant criticisms of Customs and Border Protection is the lack of available agents. That means the agency's ability to protect U.S. borders from threats is already compromised due to a lack of agents. This problem has already been recognized by the Trump administration and its response has been very positive. The commitment to allocate the necessary money.”