CBP face biometrics catch two imposters at airports in Canada

A pair of imposters have been detected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) face biometric technology at Preclearance locations in Canada.

CBP officers in Toronto identified a biometric mismatch of a Canadian citizen attempting to travel to the United States, and discovered that the individual had presented her sister’s passport. The individual was denied entry to the country and turned over to Canadian authorities. In Vancouver, an individual previously deported from the U.S. was discovered attempting to re-enter the country during a Simplified Arrival process, according to the agency announcement. CBP says the person apprehended in Vancouver had claimed asylum in Canada, but did not posses a valid travel waiver or have permission to reapply for admission into America.

OneZero had noted the absence of imposter detections by CBP among the 23 million people who were matched with facial recognition by the agency in 2020, when it released its annual ‘Trade and Travel Report’.

CBP announced the beginning of deployments of its Simplified Arrival biometrics in Canada just days ago.

“These apprehensions are a prime example of our skillful officers and their dedication to efficient and secure travel,” says CBP Director of Field Operations Clint Lamm. “Simplified Arrival helps enhance our officers’ tool kit, enabling them to perform at an even higher level of professionalism to provide a better experience for the traveling public and secure the nation.”

CBP biometrics at Calexico pedestrian crossing

CBP has also launched its facial recognition technology to the Calexico, California pedestrian border crossing to automate manual document checks and provide a secure, touchless travel experience.

Calexico West is the fourth busiest pedestrian post of entry in the U.S., with 3.7 million people processed in 2019. An additional 330,000 people were processed the same year at Calexico East.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  biometric exit  |  biometric identification  |  border management  |  Canada  |  CBP  |  facial recognition  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  Simplified Arrival