[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 151 (Friday, December 8, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO JOHN P. MacKINNON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM KOLBE

                               of arizona

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 8, 2000

  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Mr. Hoyer, and I wish to 
recognize Special Agent John MacKinnon of the U.S. Customs Service for 
his exemplary service with the Office of Congressional Affairs for the 
past two years, including his work as the acting team leader for 
appropriations since May of this year. Special Agent MacKinnon has 
provided extraordinary assistance to the Subcommittee on Treasury, 
Postal Service and General Government including planning and 
coordinating important Subcommittee travel to review counternarcotics 
programs in the Andean drug source countries, port security and drug 
trafficking in Miami and the West Coast, and Customs automation 
projects at busy commercial ports such as Detroit and New York. Mr. 
MacKinnon also has been highly responsive to the requirements of this 
Subcommittee in both anticipating and responding to our information 
requirements, and in facilitating any hearings or other meetings 
between the Subcommittee and the Customs Service. He has brought great 
professionalism to his work, and has always contributed a fair measure 
of his energy, enthusiasm and a dram of Scottish wit to all his 
endeavors.
  Special Agent MacKinnon came to his current assignment after a full 
and productive decade carrying out investigations of narcotics 
smuggling, illegal export of munitions and sensitive technology, and 
trafficking in child pornography. This work included six years leading 
undercover investigations of international child pornography, many of 
which involved the Internet. Out of that work, Mr. MacKinnon moved on 
to be one of the first investigators to work in and develop the Customs 
Service's Cyber-Smuggling Center. He has developed a wide reputation 
for his work in the field of Internet investigations, testifying before 
our counterpart Subcommittee in the Senate, assisting foreign police in 
international investigations, and teaching undercover courses for State 
and local police on Internet crimes against children.
  Special Agent MacKinnon will soon depart for Boston to take up a new 
assignment in the field as a Group Supervisor in the Office of the 
Special Agent in Charge officers. From our perspective, he has served 
Customs well, and in so doing has done the same for our Subcommittee 
and the Congress. We wish him all the best in his new assignment and 
expect to see great things as his career progresses.

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