| 00:00:05 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR WITNESSES FOR COMING TO THIS MEETING. WE ARE MEETING IN THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ROOM. I WANT...
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| 00:00:32 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BENTSEN IS ON HIS WAY, AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF OTHERS. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO WITNESSES AND WE WILL HOUSE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. LET ME START WITH A COUPLE...
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| 00:06:20 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
IN A VARIETY OF INNOVATIVE AND PROTECTIVE LEADERSHIP
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| 00:06:24 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ROLES. OUR THIRD TODAY IS JAMES TOMSHECK, A FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS AT THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE AS WELL...
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| 00:07:45 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
CYBER CRIMES. WE ARE DIRECTING RESOURCES TO ROOT OF PUBLIC CORRUPTION ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT WE CANNOT AND FORTUNATELY, DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT ALL...
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| 00:11:43 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THOSE ALONG OUR NATION'S BORDERS. OUR MISSION IN PART IS TO STRENGTHEN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DHS BY CONDUCTING IN FRONT -- INVESTIGATIONS AND EXERCISING...
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| 00:11:52 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THAT WILL PROTECT THE NATION FROM DANGEROUS PEOPLE AND DANGEROUS THINGS. THE OIG REPORTS BOTH TO THE SECRETARY AND THE CONGRESS. AND OUR POSITION REQUIRES...
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| 00:17:00 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ECONOMY. HARPER VIEW SPANS MORE THAN 5,000 MILES OF BORDER WITH CANADA -- OUR PURVIEW SPANS
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| 00:17:06 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ONE OF FIVE BOWS MILES OF BORDER WITH CANADA AND 3000 WITH MEXICO. WE'RE COMPRISED OF 20,000 BORDER PATROL AGENTS DEPLOYED BETWEEN PORTS OF ENTRY AND...
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| 00:22:25 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THEAT THE CVP POLICY IS TO DO IT HOLOGRAPH ON ALL APPLICANTS. >> THAT IS OUR GOAL. -- IS TO DO A POLYGRAPH ON ALL APPLICANTS. >> THAT IS OUR GOAL. THE...
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| 00:22:55 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ADDITIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC EXAMINERS -- POLYGRAPHIC
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| 00:23:01 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
EXAMINERS. >> AND IS THE POLYGRAPHING,
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| 00:23:07 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
IS THAT A RESOURCE ISSUE FOR YOU? >> IT IS, SIR. >> END OF THOSE WHO ARE POLYGRAPHED, WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE FOUND UNSUITABLE FOR SERVICE? >> APPROXIMATELY...
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| 00:23:27 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
IF THERE IS 90%,
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| 00:23:29 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OR EVEN 85% OF THE FOLKS ON THIS CHART
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| 00:23:33 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THAT HAVE NOT BEEN POLYGRAPHED THAT MAY BE 60% OF THEM MIGHT NOT PASS IF THEY TOOK THE TEST? >> WE HAVE DONE
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| 00:23:41 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
AN ANALYSIS AND HAVE REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION, THAT MANY OF THOSE PERSONS HIRED DURING
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| 00:23:46 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THE CVP HIRING INITIATIVES WHO DID NOT TAKE THE PREEMPLOYMENT POLYGRAPH EXAM MAY VERY WELL HAVE ENTERED INTO OUR WORKFORCE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY...
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| 00:24:01 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
EMPLOYEES KNOW? >> IT IS OUR GOAL TO REACH THAT POINT WHERE WE ARE DOING 100% OF POLYGRAPH SCREENING OF ALL APPLICANTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> HOW LONG...
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| 00:24:19 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
STAFFED WITH 31 AGENT EXAMINERS. IT WOULD REQUIRE
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| 00:24:23 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
SUBSTANTIALLY MORE EXAMINERS TO BE CERTAIN THAT WE WOULD HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO SCREEN JUST FOR THAT HIRING THAT MAY OCCUR JUST
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| 00:24:31 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BY ATTRITION WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE.
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| 00:24:35 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
X.T. YOU KNOW HOW MANY MORE EXAMINERS YOU WOULD NEED? --- >> DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MORE EXAMINERS YOU WOULD NEED? >> APPROXIMATELY 50. >> AND HOW LONG...
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| 00:25:05 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OR GOVERNMENT APPLICANTS. >>
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| 00:25:07 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OK, THAT 60% IS THE ALARMING TO ME. >> IT IS TO ME AS WELL, SIR. . . >>
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| 00:25:28 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
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| 00:25:31 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THIS REQUIRES A NATIONAL POLYGRAPH EXAM. WHILE WE ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE'VE DONE THIS...
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| 00:26:26 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ONE THING THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON -- DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF IT BEING A PERCENTAGE FOR A NUMBER OR A LIKELIHOOD OF RECURRENCE? CAN...
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| 00:26:42 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THE SUBCOMMITTEE A SENSE OF HOW PERVASIVE THIS PROBLEM IS? >> I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE THAT MAY GET TO THE ANSWER WE NEED. WITHOUT A SPECIFIC NUMBER,...
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| 00:27:07 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WHEN YOU BACK INTO THAT AMOUNTS, YOU QUICKLY FIGURE OUT MY BUSINESS STANDPOINT EXACTLY HOW VALUABLE IT IS IN A DRUG- TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION TO GET...
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| 00:28:00 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
INSPECTION OF ALL. >> WAS THIS GOING ON BEFORE SHE WAS CAUGHT OR DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH -- HOW LONG
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| 00:28:06 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THIS WENT ON? >> THIS WENT ON FOR MANY YEARS. PRIOR TO 2003 SHE WAS SUSPECTED OF BEING INVOLVED IN SMUGGLING OPERATIONS. SHE WAS PANEL PASS SO POLICE...
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| 00:28:22 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WHO WE BELIEVE WAS ACTUALLY RECRUITED -- ELPASO POLICE OFFICER
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| 00:28:29 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WHO WE BELIEVE WAS ACTUALLY RECRUITED TO BECOME A CUSTOMS OFFICER. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE HAD 103 ARRESTS AND THAT CHART REFLECTS THAT..
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| 00:29:01 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
DOES A CHART LIKE THIS TELL THE WHOLE STORY? YOU HAVE SOME INVESTIGATIONS AND SOME ARRESTS BUT CAN WE LOOK AT THE CHART AND SAY THAT THIS PROBLEM IS...
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| 00:29:44 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
AWARE OF. OUR RATE CONCERNS ARE HOW MANY OTHER PERSONS ARE IN OUR WORK FORCE OR HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO OUR WORK FORCE THROUGH THE HIRING INITIATIVES THAT...
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| 00:30:25 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
CORRUPTED? >> I THINK BOTH OF THOSE SCENARIOS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED. WE KNOW FROM OUR ANALYSIS THAT THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AT THE BEGINNING...
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| 00:30:46 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BEGAN TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY AS CVP'S HIRING INITIATIVES CAME ABOUT. WE SEE A MOBILE UNIVERSE OF THE DATA WHERE THERE ARE TWO GROUPS OF PERSONS BEING...
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| 00:31:42 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
CRISPIN CASE -- WHAT IS TYPICAL? HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT TAKE TO CORRUPT A BORDER PATROL OFFICER? >> WE WE FIND THAT SOME ARE WILLING
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| 00:32:00 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
TO COMPROMISE THEIR AUTHORITIES AND SELL OUT THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THOSE THAT WOULD HARM OUR COUNTRY IN ANY WAY THEY CAN ENDURE FELLER AGENTS FOR REMARKABLY...
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| 00:32:19 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BEING OFFERED BEST SUMS OF MONEY3 -- VAST SUMS OF MONEY. THERE IS A WIDE AN ARRAY OF SUMS. >> WE TALKED ABOUT POLYGRAPHS BUT CVP AND ALL FEDERAL LAW-...
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| 00:32:57 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BE HONEST, WE ARE CHALLENGED TO KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF THE PERIODIC RE- INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS. WE HAVE A BACKLOG OF...
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| 00:33:17 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THOSE INVESTIGATIONS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME KEEP PACE WITH THE NUMBERS THAT COME DUE EVERY YEAR. >> YOU MENTIONED A CHALLENGE AND BACKLOG. GIVE ME A...
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| 00:33:46 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
CONCLUDED. THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL 9000 BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. IT IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO DETER --
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| 00:33:59 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
DETECT CORRUPTION OF THE WORK FORCE. >> HOW MANY DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET DONE THIS YEAR? >> AT THIS POINT, OUR CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION DOES NOT ALLOW...
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| 00:34:21 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WHAT OUR BUDGET SITUATION CURRENTLY ALLOWS FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR. >>
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| 00:34:24 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
HALF OF THE 19,000 -- >> YES, SOME OF THE ANSWER RESULTS IN HOW MANY PERSONS ARE HIRED BY CVP THE REMAINDER OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. THE SAME PERSONAL...
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| 00:34:45 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THOSE'RE-INVESTIGATIONS. IF WE HIRE SUBSTANTIALLY THIS YEAR, WE
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| 00:34:50 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WILL HAVE TO DIVERT SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES FROM. RE-INVESTIGATIONS TO DO NEW EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS. >> GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE ALL...
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| 00:35:19 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
EMPLOYEES INCREASED DRASTICALLY IN THE LAST YEARS OF CALENDAR YEAR 2009. WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH UP AND
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| 00:35:29 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WE HAD INVESTIGATIONS THAT WERE ONE YEAR OR 18 MONTHS OVERDUE. >> AS FAR AS THE POLYGRAPH, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU GET THAT DO NOT PASS THESE PERIODIC...
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| 00:36:01 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
YOU MIGHT ALSO NEED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND THOROUGHNESS OF THE BACKGROUND CHECKS? >> THIS
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| 00:36:10 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
INVOLVED INTO A CONTINUOUS MONITORING SITUATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR OUR WORK FORCE, INCREASING AND DECREASING...
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| 00:36:22 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OF THAT PERSONAL SECURITY INVESTIGATION DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT EMPLOYEE IS DOING AND WHAT THEIR ASSIGNMENT IS AND WHETHER THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO A HIGH-RISK...
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| 00:36:31 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
AND WHETHER THEY HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION AND WHETHER THERE IS AN INTEGRITY ISSUE. >> OK, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY NEW PERSONNEL YOU HAVE TO...
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| 00:37:01 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WE HAD TO RECENTLY REDUCED PERSONNEL. TO MAINTAIN OUR OWN INVESTIGATIVE SOURCE AND ELIMINATE THE USE
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| 00:37:14 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OF CONTRACTORS WOULD REQUIRE SEVERAL HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS DEDICATED TO DOING. RE-BEST OCCASIONS. PERIODIC RE-INVESTIGATIONS. WE HAD TO RELEASE 99 INVESTIGATORS...
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| 00:38:10 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ABOUT THAT, PLEASE? >>
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| 00:38:11 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
PRESENTLY, WE HAVE 12 BORDER CORRUPTION TASK FORCES ESTABLISHED. THESE ARE OPERATIONAL ENTITIES THAT INVOLVED AGENTS FROM THE AGENCIES AT THIS TABLE...
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| 00:38:35 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
CORRUPTION ALONG THE BORDER, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTHWEST BORDER INVOLVING DRUG TRAFFICKING. THEY ALSO INVESTIGATE WHAT EVER ELSE MIGHT COME ALONG WHETHER...
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| 00:39:43 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OTHER AND IS THE FEDERAL SIDE HELPING THE STATE SIDE AND THE COUNTY IS HELPING THE FEDERAL AND ALL THAT? >> WITHOUT A DOUBT. IT IS VITAL TO HAVE THOSE...
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| 00:40:10 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
EVIDENCE OF STATE AND LOCAL CORRUPTION, AS WELL? >> YES, SIR, THAT IS THE CASE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH EVERYBODY'S BUDGETS, WE HAVE...
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| 00:40:28 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
APPROPRIATION, WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL BODIES TO FIGHT GANG VIOLENCE ACROSS THE U.S. INSTEAD
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| 00:40:36 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OF PARSING THESE OUT ACROSS THE U.S. IN LITTLE PIECES, WE DECIDED TO GO WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT. WE WENT TO THE SOUTHWEST BORDER...
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| 00:41:53 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ARE YOU SEEING ANY EVIDENCE OF TERRORISTS TAPPING INTO THIS AND COMING INTO THE COUNTRY? >> WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY IS WHEN YOU STEP BACK AND...
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| 00:42:21 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
A TERRORIST OR SOMETHING ELSE. IT IS ALL RELATED. ON THE NORTHERN BORDER IN THE PAST, COMPONENTS ATTEMPTED TO SMUGGLE IN -- COMPONENTS OF AN EXPLOSIVE...
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| 00:43:26 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THE NUMBERS FOR ICE AND CVP ARE QUITE DIFFERENT. THEIR MISSION IS DIFFERENT AND A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IS DIFFERENT. THEY ARE AT ABOUT HALF IN TERMS
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| 00:43:51 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OF ARRESTS AND CASE INVESTIGATIONS. ICE ALSO INCLUDES THE ELEMENT INCLUDESICE THAT DEALS WITH DETAINEES AND ALIEN DETAINEE'S AND TRANSPORTABLE, INDIVIDUALS....
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| 00:45:37 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
TERMS OF BEING CORRUPTED? >> WE HAVE COMPARED IT TO THE ESPIONAGE-RELATED CORRUPTION TECHNIQUES WHERE ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GROUPS LOOK FOR VULNERABLE EMPLOYEES....
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| 00:46:05 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY ON THE SOUTHWEST BORDER THAT THE RIVER IS JUST A RIVER. THERE IS A LOT OF COMMERCE, FAMILY AND OTHER INTERACTION BETWEEN PEOPLE ON...
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| 00:47:43 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, THERE IS INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPONENTS BOTH INTERNALCVP , ICE OPR AND THE OTHER AGENCIES. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THOSE INTERNAL AFFAIRS...
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| 00:48:06 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
FROM ALL OUR PERSPECTIVES, ADMINISTRATIVE-TYPE CASES ARE IMPORTUNED TELLS, IF YOU WILL, OF EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCTN+, A LEAKING FALSE IT STARTS WITH A DREAD....
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| 00:49:04 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
LEVEL OF DETERMINATION AND COMMITMENT TO GET THESE CARTELS UNDER CONTROL AND BREAK THEM UP HOWEVER THEY DO THAT UNDER MEXICAN LAW? WHAT IS YOUR SENSE...
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| 00:49:39 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WE DO RECEIVE A GREAT DEAL OF COOPERATION FROM THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT. OBVIOUSLY OF LATE, A NUMBER OF DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION LEADERS HAVE BEEN...
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| 00:50:49 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
BAD. IT CAUSES THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE BORDER TO MAKE SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT AT WHAT LEVEL AND HOW THEY CAN COOPERATE WITH US...
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| 00:51:41 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AND THIS IS MORE OF AN INTERNAL QUESTION IS -- I KNOW YOU HAVE
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| 00:51:52 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
IG'S AND I KNOW YOU HAVE INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES AND DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES AND TURF. HOW ARE THE
|
| 00:52:05 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
AGENCIES DOING, IN YOUR VIEW, INTERNALLY IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE CASES ARE BEING HANDLED PROPERLY WITHIN THE AGENCY AND IF THEY NEED TO WORK...
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| 00:52:51 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
OF THIS IS THAT WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING. WE ARE ALL DEDICATED TO STOPPING THIS AND TO LOCKING UP THE BAD GUYS AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT MINOR ISSUES...
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| 00:53:42 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
WORKING IN GENUINE FULL PARTNERSHIPS IN AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE YOU KNOW THERE
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| 00:53:47 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
IS REDUNDANT VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED THAT ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES ARE BEING BROUGHT TO BEAR IN A COURT MIDWAY IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD....
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| 00:54:47 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
LAW OR
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| 00:54:48 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HELP
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| 00:54:51 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
THIS OR DO YOU SEE THIS AS PRETTY MUCH A RESOURCE ISSUE? >> SENATOR, I BELIEVE HAVING THE AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS AS PART OF THE...
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| 00:55:21 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
FORCE BUT DO IT ON A STRATEGIC BASES WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY BASED ON THE DEGREE OF RISK AN EMPLOYEE MAY POSE BASED ON THEIR ASSIGNMENT,...
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| 00:56:03 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
MATTERS ARE ALWAYS ON THE TABLE AND ALWAYS BEING
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| 00:56:07 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
DISCUSSED. I WOULD DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT ON THOSE MATTERS. FOR THE TIME BEING, I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE TOOLS. >> THAT IS ENCOURAGING BUT PLEASE CHECK...
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| 00:56:36 |
Unidentified Speaker, -
AUDIO] WE WILL KEEP THE RECORD OPEN FOR 15 DAYS AND THERE WILL BE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO GOT CAUGHT UP IN HEARINGS OR ARE DOWN...
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| 00:59:56 |
HOST, -
THE FEDERAL TAX DEADLINE IS 10 DAYS AWAY, APRIL 15. AT 1:00 EASTERN, WE WILL BE LIVE FROM THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB IN WASHINGTON AS THE IRS COMMISSIONER...
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NOTE: The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.