[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17411]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF BILL TO ESTABLISH A BORDER PATROL UNIT FOR THE U.S. 
                             VIRGIN ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation 
to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish at least one 
Border Patrol unit for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  With over 175 miles of unprotected and open borders, the Virgin 
Islands are the gateway to the U.S. and our nation's southernmost 
border. And, it would appear, Mr. Speaker that the U.S. Virgin Islands 
is today the gateway of choice for human smugglers.
  Since 1998 more than 500 Chinese nationals have entered the territory 
of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those dropping the aliens ashore have 
identified the Virgin Islands as an area from which illegals can try to 
travel undetected to the U.S. mainland. While most of these landings 
have principally been during the pre-dawn hours at one of the several 
cays on the island of St. John, there have also been landings on all 
three islands with 15 Chinese nationals being apprehended on St. John 
and St. Thomas as recently as this past April 19th. According to the 
U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands, ``we don't know who these people 
are who are smuggled into the territory from China.''
  Because of the lack of a Border Patrol Unit in the territory, other 
federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have 
to spend a significant amount of man-hours apprehending, processing, 
detaining and watching aliens in custody. ICE has to use between 6 and 
8 agents in every landing of 12 to 15 aliens. At a rate of on average 3 
to 4 landings per month more than 80 hours are spent processing these 
aliens. Time which could be used to investigate conspiracies, smuggling 
organizations and dismantling rings.
  Mr. Speaker, having a Border Patrol Unit assigned in the territory 
would also enable us to deal with the other serious problem we face 
which is drug smuggling. ICE has identified several trafficking 
organizations that use the U.S. Virgin Islands to conduct drug 
smuggling operations, with marijuana, cocaine and heroin being shipped 
to the territory on a weekly basis.
  We also know Mr. Speaker, of the very real connection and 
relationship between drugs and terrorism: One third of listed terrorist 
organizations are involved in drug trafficking; according to published 
reports Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden financed the development of a 
highly addictive liquid heroin as part of their multi-pronged 
terrorists campaign to destabilize western society; and according to a 
UN report, ``Funds used from the production-and trading of opium and 
heroin are used to buy arms and other war materials and to finance the 
training of terrorists and support the operations of extremist.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a proven fact that it's more beneficial to stop 
undocumented aliens and contraband before it enters the United States, 
rather than attempt to catch everything after it has already entered. 
Having a Border Patrol in the Virgin Islands will increase 
exponentially the ability of our country to intercept the next 
potentially dangerous terrorist before he or she reaches our shores or 
the drugs that could be used the finance another 9/11 type operation. I 
urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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