American Border Patrol

ABP Report Agrees with CBP, But Just So Far

December 20, 2008

American Border Patrol reports that it has revised its border fence calculations and is now reporting a figure of 275 miles of border fencing in place along the Texas/Mexico border. This is very close the 278 mile figure released today by Customs and Border Protection.

“We are in agreement with CBP about the miles of fencing along the border, but not with their definition of what a fence is,” said Glenn Spencer, head of ABP. Spencer said most of the 248 miles of what CBP is calling a vehicle fence is not a fence at all, but a barrier. “A fence is not something someone can step over or duck under” Spencer said. Spencer also said that much of the existing fence is old ten-foot-high airport mat material that can be easily climbed.

“Last week smugglers used a portable ramp to move a car carrier into position to deposit two pickups loaded with drugs into the U.S.”, Spencer said.

“This wouldn’t have happened if CBP had replaced the old fence with the 18-foot type that is now standard along the border.”

Spencer also complained that if smugglers can get over a ten-foot-fence near a town and within sight of a Border Patrol camera, they shouldn’t have trouble defeating a six-foot vehicle barrier in the middle of the desert miles from the nearest cameras.

It is unlikely that CBP will meet the goal of 370 miles of fence in place by Dec. 31, 2008 as promised by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

“They have almost one hundred miles of fence to get in place in just ten days,” Spencer said.

Spencer will present a complete report on the status of the border fence on January 15, 2009, in Washington, D.C.