U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced last week that U.S. Border Patrol Chief DavidV. Aguilar will become Acting Deputy Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.The announcement comes nearly a month after Acting Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern announced his retirement at the end of this year. The position becomes effective January 3, 2010.
A border native with over 30 years of border security experience, Aguilar was appointed as Chief of the Border Patrol for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2004. Prior to that appointment, Aguilar was chosen as the Chief Patrol agent of the Tucson Sector in 1999 following his position as the Assistant Regional Director for the Border Patrol in Dallas, Texas, a role in which he served since 1996.
CBP Creates Electronic Reading Room to Increase Public Access to Documents (Friday, October 23, 2009) contacts for this news release <http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/10232009_2.xml#contacts#contacts> Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection today launched improvements in Web-based technology designed to increase public access to agency records and documents. The upgraded CBP Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room will feature records and documents formerly only available through FOIA request. Documents and records responding to certain FOIA requests are now available at foia.cbp.gov. ( FOIA Reading Room <http://foia.cbp.gov/> ) “CBP is striving to boost agency transparency and accountability, while promoting efficiency and effectiveness through the use of technology,” said Acting Commissioner Jayson P. Ahern. “We hope the public will visit the Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room for the most direct access to information and to avoid the need to go through the FOIA request process.” The border security agency follows FOIA requirements and makes four distinct categories of records available for public inspection and copying. Consequently, documents featured in the FOIA Electronic Reading Room will consist of final opinions and orders rendered in the adjudication of administrative cases; specific agency policy statements; certain administrative staff manuals; and various records disclosed in response to a FOIA request. The CBP FOIA Division launched the upgraded Reading Room to proactively share information that includes policies and procedures, awarded contracts and grants, manuals and instructions, final opinions, common FOIA requests, and logs of FOIA requests received by the agency. For more information on CBP and the FOIA Electronic Reading Room, visit the CBP Web site.
