KPAX: Tester: Improvements needed for border security
WASHINGTON D.C.-A new report requested by Senator Jon Tester says federal agencies need better communication, and a better sharing of intelligence to improve U.S. border security.
That’s the main theme contained in the 57-page report released today. Tester asked for the findings to answer questions about whether federal agencies are working together to secure the vast tracts of federally-owned land along both the Canadian and Mexican borders.
The main finding of the report is that there are critical gaps in security on the borders that are limiting the ability of Customs and Border Protection to fully secure the boundary, including communications and information sharing between federal, as well as local agencies.
Tester says the report points to a need to do more to secure the border against illegal drugs and terrorist threats.
“There’s no doubt we’ve got to do better at securing the southern border, but this report also shows that Homeland Security’s effort to secure the northern border has earned a grade of ‘incomplete’,” said Tester, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
