Intelligence-Driven Border Security: A Promethean View of U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Operations

Abstract

Transnational criminal networks will continue to evolve. The United States Border Patrol's (USBP) intelligence-driven planning, resourcing, and operations need to be responsive to the constant evolution in adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures. To successfully standardize and institutionalize intelligence processes, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted on the current USBP intelligence architecture and intelligence processes. The research compared and contrasted the current Border Patrol intelligence mission with best practices, lessons learned, shared missions, and constraints within the Intelligence Community. The research focused on the synthesis of an intelligence-driven, law enforcement culture, one that will increase situational awareness and understanding of the homeland security ecosystem through efficient planning, collections, exploitation, processing, analysis, production, and dissemination of intelligence-related information to all components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This study examines literature from the DHS strategic documents, Department of Defense intelligence doctrine, Government Accountability Office reports, internal USBP intelligence documents, and subject-matter expert perspectives. This research leads USBP to consider instituting an effective organizational architecture that supports the evolutionary development of its intelligence-driven, border security operations and intelligence-driven, decision-making process. The thesis concludes that the synergy between law enforcement culture and intelligence-driven operations is difficult to achieve, yet once established, it is very powerful, irreplaceable, highly effective, and self-sustainable. Evidence demonstrates that in order to institute a culture of an intelligence-driven border security agency, a more robust approach needs to be standardized to sustain the flexibility and adaptability the USBP requires to address future threats in the twenty-first century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA631980

Entities

People

  • Gloria I. Chavez

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Best Practices
  • Border Security
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Intelligence Collection
  • Intelligence Community (United States)
  • Intelligence Cycle
  • Lessons Learned
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Risk Analysis
  • Situational Awareness
  • Surveillance
  • United States
  • Urban Areas

Readers

  • Geospatial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Analytics
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.