Illicit Drugs in International Mail
- Subject
- Illicit Drugs in International Mail
- Date
- September 7, 2017
- Time
- 12:00 am
- Place
- 2154 Rayburn HOB
PURPOSE:
- To examine how the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) security standards for international mail facilitate an influx of illicit drugs to the United States.
- To examine a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the costs and benefits of using electronic data to screen items sent through international mail.
BACKGROUND:
- USPS reported a 54 percent increase on inbound international mail volume from FY 2012 to FY 2016. The rise of e-commerce paired with the lack of adequate security screening measures creates a way for items to enter the country virtually unchecked through inbound international mail.
- Under USPS’ current system, the majority of packages sent from foreign countries can enter the U.S. without having advanced electronic data processed by our national intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
- At the request of the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, GAO examined and released a report titled, “International Mail Security: Costs and Benefits of Using Electronic Data to Screen Mail Need to be Assessed”.
Witnesses and testimonies:
The Honorable Gregory Thome
Director, Office of U.N. Specialized and Technical Agencies Bureau of International Organization Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Document
Chief Postal Inspector
U.S. Postal Service
Document
Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Document
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Document
Acting Inspector General
U.S. Postal Service
Document