Blaine CBP officers intercept woman using sister’s passport, vaccine card

Using biometric technology, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted an unvaccinated woman crossing into the U.S. from Canada November 26 using her sister’s U.S. passport and Covid-19 vaccination card, according to a December 3 CBP news release.

A CBP officer detected a facial mismatch while processing the woman in the bus terminal at the Pacific Highway port of entry, according to CBP. Upon further investigation, the woman admitted to using her sister’s credentials to cross the border because she had not yet been vaccinated.

“The addition of facial biometric technology and the vigilance of our CBP officers prevented the entry of someone suspected of fraudulently using another individual’s passport and COVID-19 vaccination card to cross international borders,” said Brian Humphrey, field operations director at CBP’s Seattle Field Office. “This advanced biometric technology, combined with skilled CBP officers, provides travelers with a secure, efficient and touchless arrival process that strengthens border security.”

CBP’s facial biometric technology program, Simplified Arrival, provides travelers with a secure, touchless travel experience while fulfilling a longstanding Congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens, the release said. It compares facial data when travelers have already been required to verify their identity by presenting travel documents.

According to the release, the process only takes a few seconds and is more than 98 percent
accurate. 

U.S. travelers and foreign nationals can opt out of the biometric process by notifying a CBP officer as they approach the primary inspection point and use alternative processes for admission into the U.S. 

Photo comparisons of U.S. citizens are deleted within 12 hours, while most foreign nationals’ photo comparisons are stored in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security system, according to CBP.

CBP has used facial comparisons on more than 113 million travelers since it started using the system in September 2018, which has prevented 1,100 people from illegally entering into the U.S, according to the release.