Undercover cops find its easy to cross both the Mexican and Canadian borders with fake ID

  Wow! There are more than 8,000 different kinds of acceptable IDs to use to cross the border and get into the USA. Find out what they are! Get a list!

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Fake IDs get undercover border investigators into U.S.

Associated Press
Aug. 1, 2006 02:25 PM

WASHINGTON - Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year - including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings, on both the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday.

"This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected," concluded the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, in testimony obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The findings come as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or tamperproof ID cards from all who enter the United States.

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he conceded that agents are sometimes unable to verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing border traffic.

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Aug02/0,4670,BorderInsecurity,00.html

Border Agents Fail to Spot Fake Papers Wednesday, August 02, 2006

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON — Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year _ including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents"never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents,"according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday.

"This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected,"concluded the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, in testimony obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The findings, to be presented to the Senate Finance Committee, come as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or a small number of previously approved tamperproof ID cards from all who enter the United States.

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he conceded that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing border traffic.

"This creates a security vulnerability we were hoping to close"with the deadline at the end of next year, Agen said.

The GAO probe follows a similar inquiry in 2003 and 2004 when undercover investigators crossed unhindered into the United States at least 14 times using counterfeit drivers'licenses and, in one case, an expired, altered U.S. diplomatic passport. During that investigation, however, border agents in New York and Florida stopped three undercover officials who were using expired and forged passports, drivers'licenses or birth certificates.

By comparison, between February and June 2006, 18 GAO investigators breezed by border agents at checkpoints in California, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, Washington state, and twice each in Arizona and New York. In two cases _ in Arizona and California _ border agents did not ask the undercover investigators for any identification.

In a third case, in Texas, investigators offered to show identification _ a counterfeit Virginia drivers'license. The border agent replied,"OK, that would be good,"but released the investigators before inspecting it, according to the prepared testimony by GAO investigator Gregory D. Kutz.

Two of the 9/11 hijackers used fake Virginia residency certificates to get valid state ID cards needed to board the planes that flew into the World Trade Center. Neither GAO probe specified the location of any border checkpoints investigators went through.

The 9/11 Commission called for tougher ID card rules at borders to help prevent terrorists from entering the country. Responding, Congress in 2004 approved requirements for all travelers _ including Americans _ to show passports or a small number of other approved secure documents before entering the U.S.

Those requirements are supposed to take effect Dec. 31, 2007. But lawmakers from states that border Canada have since rebelled, contending the rules could hamper commercial and tourist travel. They are pushing to delay the rules by 17 months to ensure Homeland Security has proper technology to speed legitimate travel though border checkpoints.

Agen said Homeland Security agents intercepted 75,000 fraudulent documents from border travelers last year. The department last month arrested a Mexican fugitive suspected of running a counterfeit document operation whose fake ID cards have turned up in all 50 states.

On the Net:

Government Accountability Office:http://www.gao.gov

Department of Homeland Security:http://www.dhs.gov

Senate Finance Committee:http://finance.senate.gov/

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/08/01/ap2920414.html

Border Agents Let Fake IDs Go Through By LARA JAKES JORDAN , 08.01.2006, 06:37 PM

Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year - including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday.

"This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected," concluded the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, in testimony obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The findings, to be presented to the Senate Finance Committee, come as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or a small number of previously approved tamperproof ID cards from all who enter the United States.

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he conceded that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing border traffic.

"This creates a security vulnerability we were hoping to close" with the deadline at the end of next year, Agen said.

The GAO probe follows a similar inquiry in 2003 and 2004 when undercover investigators crossed unhindered into the United States at least 14 times using counterfeit drivers' licenses and, in one case, an expired, altered U.S. diplomatic passport. During that investigation, however, border agents in New York and Florida stopped three undercover officials who were using expired and forged passports, drivers' licenses or birth certificates.

By comparison, between February and June 2006, 18 GAO investigators breezed by border agents at checkpoints in California, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, Washington state, and twice each in Arizona and New York. In two cases - in Arizona and California - border agents did not ask the undercover investigators for any identification.

In a third case, in Texas, investigators offered to show identification - a counterfeit Virginia drivers' license. The border agent replied, "OK, that would be good," but released the investigators before inspecting it, according to the prepared testimony by GAO investigator Gregory D. Kutz.

Two of the 9/11 hijackers used fake Virginia residency certificates to get valid state ID cards needed to board the planes that flew into the World Trade Center. Neither GAO probe specified the location of any border checkpoints investigators went through.

The 9/11 Commission called for tougher ID card rules at borders to help prevent terrorists from entering the country. Responding, Congress in 2004 approved requirements for all travelers - including Americans - to show passports or a small number of other approved secure documents before entering the U.S.

Those requirements are supposed to take effect Dec. 31, 2007. But lawmakers from states that border Canada have since rebelled, contending the rules could hamper commercial and tourist travel. They are pushing to delay the rules by 17 months to ensure Homeland Security has proper technology to speed legitimate travel though border checkpoints.

Agen said Homeland Security agents intercepted 75,000 fraudulent documents from border travelers last year. The department last month arrested a Mexican fugitive suspected of running a counterfeit document operation whose fake ID cards have turned up in all 50 states.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0802border-insecurity0802.html

Fake IDs get undercover border investigators into U.S.

Lara Jakes Jordan Associated Press Aug. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year, including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday.

"This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected," concluded the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, in testimony obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press.

The findings, to be presented to the Senate Finance Committee, come as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or a small number of previously approved tamperproof ID cards from all who enter the U.S.

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he said that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing traffic.

"This creates a security vulnerability we were hoping to close" with the deadline at the end of next year, Agen said.

The GAO probe follows a similar inquiry in 2003 and 2004, when undercover investigators crossed unhindered into the United States at least 14 times using counterfeit drivers' licenses and, in one case, an expired, altered U.S. diplomatic passport. During that investigation, however, border agents in New York and Florida stopped three undercover officials who were using expired and forged passports, drivers' licenses or birth certificates.

By comparison, between February and June, 18 GAO investigators breezed by border agents at checkpoints in California, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, Washington state, and twice each in Arizona and New York. In two cases, in Arizona and California, border agents did not ask the undercover investigators for any identification.

In a third case, in Texas, investigators offered to show identification: a counterfeit Virginia drivers' license. The border agent replied, "OK, that would be good," but released the investigators before inspecting it, according to the prepared testimony by GAO investigator Gregory Kutz.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0802border-insecurity0802.html

Fake IDs get undercover border investigators into U.S.

Lara Jakes Jordan Associated Press Aug. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake documents repeatedly this year, including some cases in which Homeland Security Department agents didn't ask for identification.

At nine border crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," according to Government Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday.

"This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of being detected," concluded the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, in testimony obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press.

The findings, to be presented to the Senate Finance Committee, come as Congress considers delaying a 2007 deadline requiring passports or a small number of previously approved tamperproof ID cards from all who enter the U.S.

Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen said agents are trained to identify false birth certificates, driver's licenses and other documents. But he said that agents sometimes cannot verify more than 8,000 different kinds of currently acceptable IDs without significantly slowing traffic.

"This creates a security vulnerability we were hoping to close" with the deadline at the end of next year, Agen said.

The GAO probe follows a similar inquiry in 2003 and 2004, when undercover investigators crossed unhindered into the United States at least 14 times using counterfeit drivers' licenses and, in one case, an expired, altered U.S. diplomatic passport. During that investigation, however, border agents in New York and Florida stopped three undercover officials who were using expired and forged passports, drivers' licenses or birth certificates.

By comparison, between February and June, 18 GAO investigators breezed by border agents at checkpoints in California, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, Washington state, and twice each in Arizona and New York. In two cases, in Arizona and California, border agents did not ask the undercover investigators for any identification.

In a third case, in Texas, investigators offered to show identification: a counterfeit Virginia drivers' license. The border agent replied, "OK, that would be good," but released the investigators before inspecting it, according to the prepared testimony by GAO investigator Gregory Kutz.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/02/border.security/

Report: Border guards failed to detect fake IDs GAO investigators able to cross all checkpoints tested

From Jeanne Meserve and Mike M. Ahlers CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- They carried fake IDs and used phony names. But the ne'er-do-wells -- actually plain-clothed government investigators -- were able to get into the United States anyway.

In the latest test of U.S. border security, Government Accountability Office testers were able to penetrate all nine U.S. border crossings they checked. In three instances, border officials did not even ask to see identification, the GAO said.

As a result, terrorists or criminals can "pass freely into the United States ... with little or no chance of being detected," the GAO concludes in testimony to be delivered Wednesday to the Senate Finance Committee.

Investigators said they used ordinary computers and readily available software to create the counterfeit driver's licenses and documents. They traveled to checkpoints along the northern and southern borders, testing sites in California, Texas, Arizona, Michigan, New York, Idaho, and Washington state.

In all nine tests, Customs and Border Protection agents "never questioned the authenticity of the counterfeit documents," the GAO said.

Similar tests in 2003 had similar results: Agents made repeated border crossings using fake IDs. But during a separate set of tests in late 2003 and 2004, they were denied entry on one occasion when a border agent saw that an ID had expired.

The Department of Homeland Security says it has trained border agents to spot fake documents and that they intercepted more than 75,000 last year. But the job is complicated by the huge variety of legitimate documents: More than 8,000 are used to enter the country, including easy-to-forge licenses and birth certificates.

A law requiring travelers entering the United States to present passports or other secure documents is slated to take effect in 2008, but some members of Congress are trying to delay that law.