Security Levels
Biometrics Identification
CG cutter crew member involved in an interdiction captures young woman’s biometrics U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA Ricardo Castrodad
Pentagon Channel: Use of Biometrics>>
With the development of the Biometrics At-Sea System, biometrics can now be collected from illegal migrants combined with biographic data, to search over 110 million records including: foreign persons with warrants and criminal records, members of known and suspected terrorist watch lists, and persons having made prior attempts at illegal entry to the U.S. Information is available to the Coast Guard boarding team in less than 20 minutes from the time it was sent.
Upon assessment of the pilot program, the RDC developed deployment scenarios tailored to the needs of the Coast Guard and partnering agencies. Database matches have led to prosecution of over 336 persons. Prior to the use of biometrics, only one or two migrants were prosecuted per year. Since the introduction of biometrics to interdiction operations in the Mona Passage, illegal migrant flow has reduced 90 percent.
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