PROTECTING OUR BORDERS

October 19, 2010: Paul Welborn introduced Robert Fencel from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency. Mr. Fencel said that he lives in Summerville and that his primary job description is that of protecting the Port of Entry and Port of SC. He said that his first love is protecting the USA.

He stated that his agency is not a border patrol, but that the border patrol is directly under their auspices. Fencel said that they became an official agency of the US government in 2003 under the umbrella of Homeland Security and as a direct result of the 9/11 attack.

Their two goals are: security and facilitation. In terms of security, they do the following: stop terrorism; prevent illegal entry into the country; stop drug traffic and human smuggling; prevent agricultural diseases; secure national events; and assist with disaster relief.

In terms of facilitation, they do the following: collect customs revenue; process in-coming travelers; inspect imports; and stop counterfeit good from entering the country.

Protect borders …. they manage a massive number of imports at the Port. They are considered law enforcement officers. They control 327 ports of entry around the world …. the land, the sea and the air. They are involved in trade security so that nothing comes into this country that can hurt anyone. They intercept trade violations, i.e., counterfeit watches, hand bags and clothing. They protect the US from unsafe imports, i.e., pharmaceuticals, pills such as Viagra.

Mr. Fencel was in Arizona for 12 years and dealt with corruption in the area of drugs and the Mexican government. He also dealt with the illegal immigration issues involving Hispanics attempting to get into this country illegally. His organization also oversees security for any major events, i.e., the Olympics, major sports events, the inauguration. They are also engaged in readiness preparedness for disasters.

In terms of the cruise ships now coming to the Port of Charleston, as well as container ships, they are part of the official welcoming committee. He stated that they believe that they are very good at what they do. He said that they talk in terms of global terrorism and its effect on the US.

Mr. Fencel said that they engaged in the tremendous response to the Haiti earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010. They sent agents over there on Jan. 18. There were 100 military relief flights out of the Charleston airport, providing aid, medical assistance and much needed supplies to the Haitians. He also stated that they helped people fill out their customs forms, worked closely with the Red Cross, and assisted churches in responding to the needs of the displaced people. He said that the Charleston response to this disaster was just incredible. They assist in the federal response to hurricanes.

To conclude his presentation, he put an aerial view of 9/11 on the screen and said: “this is why we do what we do!”

Submitted by Bill Christian, Keyway Committee