This article will focus on data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or USCBP. It sheds light on just how bad things are with their borders, particularly the side with Mexico. There have been many interests vested in not securing it. Consequently, people flood in illegally, since there’s little reason not to at least try.
Why should Canadians care about this?
The answer is simple: it’s not just an American problem. Open borders threatens nations in general. Not only that, many of those illegal aliens will surely be working their way to Canada, given the generous welfare benefits available.
There’s also some historical data, going back 100 years on total apprehensions.
The following data is by no means all of the information that CBP releases, including on weapons and drugs. It’s just a portion of it. But it should be alarming to anyone who takes border security seriously.
Total Customs And Border Patrol Enforcement Actions
| YEAR | TOTALS | OFFICE OF FIELD OPS | US BORDER PATROL |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 526,901 | 216,370 | 310,531 |
| FY 2018 | 683,178 | 281,881 | 404,142 |
| FY 2019 | 1,148,024 | 288,523 | 859,501 |
| FY 2020 | 646,822 | 241,786 | 405,036 |
| FY 2021 | 1,956,519 | 294,352 | 1,662,167 |
| FY 2022 | 2,766,582 | 551,930 | 2,214,652 |
| FY 2023 | 3,201,144 | 1,137,452 | 2,063,692 |
| FY 2024* | 1,981,177 | 809,460 | 1,171,717 |
* Beginning in March FY20, OFO Encounters statistics include both Title 8 Inadmissibles and Title 42 Expulsions. To learn more, visit Title-8-and-Title-42-Statistics. Inadmissibles refers to individuals encountered at ports of entry who are seeking lawful admission into the United States but are determined to be inadmissible, individuals presenting themselves to seek humanitarian protection under our laws, and individuals who withdraw an application for admission and return to their countries of origin within a short timeframe.
** Beginning in March FY20, USBP Encounters statistics include both Title 8 Apprehensions and Title 42 Expulsions. To learn more, visit Title-8-and-Title-42-Statistics. Apprehensions refers to the physical control or temporary detainment of a person who is not lawfully in the U.S. which may or may not result in an arrest.
Inadmissible Foreign Criminals And Outstanding Warrants
| YEAR | OFO C.N.E | NCIC** | USBP C.N.E | USBP Warrants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 10,596 | 7,656 | 8,531 | 2,675 | |||||||||
| FY 2018 | 11,623 | 5,929 | 6,698 | 1,550 | |||||||||
| FY 2019 | 12,705 | 8,546 | 4,269 | 4,153 | |||||||||
| FY 2020 | 7,009 | 7,108 | 2,438 | 2,054 | |||||||||
| FY 2021 | 6,567 | 8,979 | 10,763 | 1,904 | |||||||||
| FY 2022 | 16,993 | 10,389 | 15,267 | 949 | |||||||||
| FY 2023 | 20,166 | 11,509 | 15,267 | 988 | |||||||||
| FY 2024*** | 11,626 | 6,946 | 10,337 | 587 |
| YEAR | OC | NO | DE | JA | FE | MA | AP | MY | JN | JL | AU | SE | TOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 98K | 67K | 69K | 60K | 90K | 88K | 64K | 89K | 93K | 77K | 75 | 45 | 913K |
| 2022 | 83K | 58K | 45K | 50K | 60K | 44K | 53K | 47K | 61K | 54K | 60K | 41K | 656K |
| 2023 | 37K | 39K | 40K | 49K | 70K | 56K | 36K | 41K | 44K | 50K | 49K | 39K | 549K |
| 2024* | 37K | 48K | 34K | 37K | 67K | 51K | 46K | – | – | – | – | – | 321K |
* FY 2024, or Fiscal Year 2024, ends on September 30th, 2024
Data represents pounds that were seized, rounded for space considerations. For example, 58K means 58,000 pounds of narcotics.
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
Types Of Drugs Seized 2021-2024
| YEAR | MJ | ME | CO | FE | HE | KH | KE | EC | LSD | OTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 319K | 192K | 98K | 11K | 5K | 203K | 22K | 1K | 38 | 73K |
| 2022 | 155K | 175K | 70K | 15K | 2K | 175K | 14K | 1K | 36 | 49K |
| 2023 | 150K | 140K | 81K | 27K | 2K | 70K | 8K | 649 | 11 | 71K |
| 2024* | 110K | 105K | 41K | 11K | 513 | 5K | 9K | 321 | 6 | 39K |
MJ = Marijuana
ME = Methamphetamine
CO = Cocaine
FE = Fentanyl
HE = Heroin
KH = Khat (Catha Edulis)
EC = Ecstasy
LSD = LSD
OTH = Other Drugs
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
* FY 2024, or Fiscal Year 2024, ends on September 30th, 2024
Weapons And Firearms Seized
| YEAR | AM | CA | MA | OG | RE | SC | SI | BA | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2021 | 345,757 | – | 419 | 230,761 | 181 | – | 18,036 | – | 595,154 |
| FY 2022 | 1,029,554 | – | 516 | 115,902 | 253 | – | 1,272 | – | 1,147,497 |
| FY 2023 | 501,368 | 847 | 7,532 | 34,181 | 324 | 357 | 2,457 | 544 | 547,610 |
| FY 2024* | 243,783 | 178 | 6,475 | 47,719 | 175 | 238 | 1,907 | 3,282 | 303,756 |
AM = Ammunition
CA = Case
MA = Magazine
OG = Other Gun Parts
RE = Receiver
SC = Scope
SI = Silencer/Muffler
BA = Vest/Body Armour
* FY 2024, or Fiscal Year 2024, ends on September 30th, 2024
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/weapons-and-ammunition-seizures
Terrorist Screening Encounters
| YEAR | SOUTHERN BORDER | NORTHERN BORDER | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 116 | 217 | 333 |
| FY 2018 | 155 | 196 | 351 |
| FY 2019 | 280 | 258 | 538 |
| FY 2020 | 72 | 124 | 196 |
| FY 2021 | 103 | 54 | 157 |
| FY 2022 | 67 | 313 | 380 |
| FY 2023 | 80 | 484 | 564 |
| FY 2024* | 24 | 172 | 196 |
| YEAR | SOUTHERN BORDER | NORTHERN BORDER | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| FY 2018 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| FY 2019 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| FY 2020 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| FY 2021 | 15 | 1 | 16 |
| FY 2022 | 98 | 0 | 98 |
| FY 2023 | 169 | 3 | 172 |
| FY 2024* | 80 | 1 | 81 |
* FY 2024, or Fiscal Year 2024, ends on September 30th, 2024
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
Arrests Of Non-Citizen Gang Members
| YEAR | 18TH ST. | MS-13 | PAISAS | OTHER | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2015 | 84 | 335 | 73 | 352 | 844 |
| FY 2016 | 47 | 253 | 119 | 283 | 702 |
| FY 2017 | 61 | 228 | 53 | 194 | 536 |
| FY 2018 | 145 | 413 | 62 | 188 | 808 |
| FY 2019 | 168 | 464 | 90 | 254 | 976 |
| FY 2020 | 36 | 72 | 93 | 162 | 363 |
| FY 2021 | 28 | 113 | 79 | 128 | 348 |
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics-fy2023
Note: More recent data breaks down data among many other gangs. However, most have had just a few members detained at the border.
Arrests of Non-Citizens with Criminal Convictions
| FISCAL YEAR | TOTAL ARRESTS |
|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 8,531 |
| FY 2018 | 6,698 |
| FY 2019 | 4,269 |
| FY 2020 | 2,438 |
| FY 2021 | 10,763 |
| FY 2022 | 12,028 |
| FY 2023 | 15,267 |
| FY 2024* | 10,337 |
* FY 2024 ends on September 30th, 2024
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics
Records checks of available law enforcement databases following the apprehension of an individual may reveal a history of criminal conviction(s). That conviction information is recorded in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection database, from which the data below is derived.
Total Criminal Convictions by Type Of Non-Citizens
| YEAR | ABSV | ROB | DUI | HOM | DRUG | IRE | WEAP | SEX | OTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2017 | 692 | 595 | 1,596 | 3 | 1,249 | 4,502 | 173 | 137 | 1,851 |
| FY 2018 | 524 | 347 | 1,113 | 3 | 871 | 3,920 | 106 | 80 | 1,364 |
| FY 2019 | 299 | 184 | 614 | 2 | 449 | 2,663 | 66 | 58 | 814 |
| FY 2020 | 208 | 143 | 364 | 3 | 386 | 1,261 | 49 | 156 | 580 |
| FY 2021 | 1,178 | 825 | 1,629 | 60 | 2,138 | 6,160 | 336 | 488 | 2,691 |
| Fy 2022 | 1,142 | 896 | 1,614 | 62 | 2,239 | 6,797 | 309 | 365 | 2,891 |
| FY 2023 | 1,254 | 864 | 2,493 | 29 | 2,055 | 8,790 | 307 | 284 | 3,286 |
| FY 2024* | 662 | 412 | 1,778 | 20 | 942 | 6,368 | 142 | 133 | 1,933 |
* Fiscal Year 2024 runs October 1, 2023- September 30, 2024.
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics
The FY total displays the total CES apprehensions but does not equal the sum of data by category because the same apprehension can have multiple NCIC Charges that are included in multiple categories.
“Other” includes any conviction not included in the categories above.
ABSV = Assault, Battery, Domestic Violence
ROB = Burglary, Robbery, Larceny, Theft, Fraud
DUI = Driving Under The Influence
HOM = Homicide: Murder, Manslaughter, etc….
DRUG = Illegal Drug Possession, Trafficking
IRE = Illegal Re-Entry
WEAP = Illegal Weapons Possession, Transport, Trafficking
SEX = Sexual Offences
OTH = Categories Not Listed Above
Historical Data On Apprehensions: 1925 – 2020
| YEAR | TOTAL | YEAR | TOTAL | YEAR | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 22,199 | 1926 | 12,735 | 1927 | 16,393 |
| 1928 | 23,566 | 1929 | 32,711 | 1930 | 20,880 |
| 1931 | 22,276 | 1932 | 22,735 | 1933 | 20,949 |
| 1934 | 10,319 | 1935 | 11,016 | 1936 | 11,728 |
| 1937 | 13,054 | 1938 | 12,851 | 1939 | 12,037 |
| 1940 | 10,492 | 1941 | 11,294 | 1942 | 11,784 |
| 1943 | 11,175 | 1944 | 31,175 | 1945 | 69,164 |
| 1946 | 99,591 | 1947 | 193,657 | 1948 | 192,779 |
| 1949 | 288,253 | 1950 | 468,339 | 1951 | 509,040 |
| 1952 | 528,815 | 1953 | 835,311 | 1954 | 1,028,246 |
| 1955 | 225,186 | 1956 | 68,420 | 1957 | 46,225 |
| 1958 | 40,504 | 1959 | 32,996 | 1960 | 28,966 |
| 1961 | 29,384 | 1962 | 29,897 | 1963 | 38,861 |
| 1964 | 42,879 | 1965 | 52,422 | 1966 | 79,610 |
| 1967 | 94,778 | 1968 | 123,519 | 1969 | 172,391 |
| 1970 | 231,116 | 1971 | 302,517 | 1972 | 396,495 |
| 1973 | 498,123 | 1974 | 634,777 | 1975 | 596,796 |
| 1976 | 696,039 | 1977 | 812,541 | 1978 | 862,837 |
| 1979 | 888,729 | 1980 | 759,420 | 1981 | 825,290 |
| 1982 | 819,919 | 1983 | 1,105,670 | 1984 | 1,138,566 |
| 1985 | 1,262,435 | 1986 | 1,692,544 | 1987 | 1,158,030 |
| 1988 | 969,214 | 1989 | 891,147 | 1990 | 1,103,354 |
| 1991 | 1,132,033 | 1992 | 1,199,560 | 1993 | 1,263,490 |
| 1994 | 1,031,668 | 1995 | 1,324,202 | 1996 | 1,549,876 |
| 1997 | 1,412,953 | 1998 | 1,555,776 | 1999 | 1,579,010 |
| 2000 | 1,676,438 | 2001 | 1,266,214 | 2002 | 955,310 |
| 2003 | 931,557 | 2004 | 1,160,395 | 2005 | 1,189,075 |
| 2006 | 1,089,092 | 2007 | 876,704 | 2008 | 723,825 |
| 2009 | 556,041 | 2010 | 463,382 | 2011 | 340,252 |
| 2012 | 364,768 | 2013 | 420,789 | 2014 | 486,651 |
| 2015 | 337,117 | 2016 | 415,816 | 2017 | 310,531 |
| 2018 | 414,142 | 2019 | 859,501 | 2020 | 405,036 |
* FY 2020 ended on September 30th, 2020
Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/media-resources/stats (pdf file) (archive)
Again, this is nowhere near all the information that the CBP puts out. It’s just a snapshot of the people, drugs, weapons and more that have been stopped. It’s alarming to think how many people, drugs and weapons aren’t being caught.
(1) https://www.cbp.gov/
(2) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
(3) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
(4) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/weapons-and-ammunition-seizures
(5) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters
(6) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics
(7) https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/media-resources/stats
(8) U.S. Border Patrol Total Apprehensions (FY 1925 – FY 2020) (508)