This is in response to an editorial in The Guam Daily Post dated Jan. 8, which asked, what will it take to stop drugs at the borders? This question can be much more appropriately addressed by the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. The threat of drug smuggling remains of great concern to CQA.
Some background on customs: In many countries the entity responsible for border enforcement is their customs organization operating at the national level. The border is a choke point – an area through which everything passes. These entities inspect arriving persons, aircraft, vessels, vehicles, merchandise, agricultural products, medication, and freight which crosses the borders. For the United States, it would be the United States Customs and Border Protection, which is a federal function with vast resources to protect the homeland. However, in Guam, this responsibility falls locally to the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, a government of Guam executive branch agency. With limited resources, CQA is responsible for the collaboration and enforcement of federal and local customs-related laws at designated border inspection areas: the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport, Andersen Air Force Base, the Guam Main Postal Facility, the Port Authority of Guam, Navy pier, Hagatna and Agat marinas. In addition, customs officers are given the responsibility as first responders, and assigned to provide security during storms, emergencies or natural disasters, as well as being assigned to the police department and federal law enforcement officer task forces. All parts working in concert to reduce risks and eliminate threats to our island.
Many are unaware of the hard work, dedication, service and sacrifice our customs officers perform or the risks taken in order to protect our island and CQA has already lost one officer to COVID-19 because of his selfless service. Aside from looking for drugs, our officers collaborate for public health by conducting health risk interviews with the master of all arriving vessels and aircraft to determine whether there is a quarantine risk and whether the passengers on an arriving flight or vessel are to be quarantined. Even before the pandemic started in December 2019, customs officers were already collaborating with the CDC, Public Health and federal agencies to identify and isolate potential risks. Additionally, CQA has had a contingent of officers assigned to the quarantine facilities since March 2020.
Apologies for the digression- The drug, crystal methamphetamine, is not readily manufactured in Guam and comes in via air, sea freight, mail, bodily carried or smuggled on arriving flights or vessels. The point is – if you stop drugs at the point it enters, it will not hit our communities. Seems like an easy fix, right? In order to do this, you’d need adequate manpower and resources. Even countries like the mainland United States struggle with this question despite their vast resources.
Things to consider – in the 1990s (pre 9-11) there were about 230 customs officers who were providing critical services to protect Guam. At that time, the price of meth was around $1,000 per gram. During this time, CQA had 13 drug detector dog (K9) teams, and a sufficient number of officers assigned to all the ports of entry and enforcement areas.
Today, despite thinly spread resources (128 officers) and additional responsibilities relating to homeland security initiatives, our officers continue their hard work, dedication, and vigilance at the borders. For 2020, CQA has intercepted well over 100 pounds (49,895 grams) of crystal methamphetamine worth almost $7.5 million ($150/gram) – drugs that would have made it into our communities if not for the hard work and dedication of customs officers.
Why the officer decline? Many officers leave for better financial opportunities. There is a disparity between customs officers in comparison to other GovGuam law enforcement salaries. This is even more evident in comparison to our federal counterpart. It is difficult to retain and maintain a steady force with CQA because once a person gets trained in customs enforcement they become highly marketable for federal service. Despite recent recruitments, officers often are easily qualified and recruited for employment with USCBP, which offers greater financial incentives for essentially performing the same types of functions. About 30% of those who leave CQA are now employed by the federal government.
Now to answer the question posed earlier- “What will it take to stop drugs at the borders?” Customs entities all around the world struggle with this issue. They however, have sufficient personnel, resources, and technology. For Guam, the simple answer is to address the gap by solidifying the chokepoint at the border through capacity building. To do this, we need to do the following:
1. Address the manpower decline by hiring additional officers and immediately address the compensation issue. To retain these officers, create and implement a hiring, retention career pay plan. This plan should address closing the compensation gaps, create retention incentives and concurrently fill the personnel shortfalls in all its critical enforcement areas. It should also establish a structured process for career advancement and address the current pay disparities which often lead to an exodus of good officers not just from CQA, but all other GovGuam law enforcement agencies.
2. Increase community partnerships and intelligence gathering.
3. Upgrade technology by transitioning from analog to digital, and instituting a computerized system designed to conduct risk analysis at the border, it would allow for the expediting of legitimate travelers, merchandise and freight while identifying those deemed high risk and in need of further inspection.
4. Acquire necessary equipment, vehicles, supplies and tools necessary to expand capacity to conduct customs inspections. CQA would replace aging X-ray systems at its ports and acquire a fixed X-ray system capable of screening containerized freight.
Although there is no panacea to this question, there would be a marked decline in illicit narcotics making it into our island community. By properly addressing the gaps at the border by appropriately staffing and equipping CQA and investing in technology, we can adequately respond to how to stop drugs at the borders.
Thank you.
Vincent S.N. Perez is chief of customs for the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency.
