Marshals, USNCB, and ICE—use  information from state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions, as well as  passenger data from CBP, to determine whether registered sex offenders  are traveling outside of the United States. Marshals, Consular Affairs, and CBP—may  be notified of registered sex offenders traveling to the United States  through several means, including tips from foreign officials or when CBP  queries the registered sex offender’s biographic information at a port of  entry and finds that the offender has a criminal history. However, none of  these sources provides complete or comprehensive information on  registered sex offenders leaving or returning to the United States. In addition, foreign officials do not always  monitor when a registered sex offender is returning to the United States. However, because ICE has not  requested to receive the automated notifications, ICE will not be notified  of registered sex offenders who leave the country via a land port of entry. First, CBP collects and analyzes information on individuals leaving the  United States via private or commercial airline, commercial vessel, and  voluntary reporting from rail, but does not routinely query individuals who  leave the United States by commercial bus line, private vessel, private  vehicle, or by foot . Specifically, FBI officials stated that, in  collaboration with other IWG member agencies, they are developing a  process that will send an automated notification to the U.S. Marshals’  NSOTC and registry and law enforcement officials in the jurisdictions  where the sex offender is registered: (1) when a registered sex offender  has purchased an airline or cruise ticket for international travel, (2) 1  week before the registered sex offender is scheduled to travel by  commercial air or sea transport, and (3) when a CBP officer queries that  person’s biographic information at a U.S. port of entry, such as any U.S.  airport. Further, jurisdictions that collect offenders’ self reported data  may also be able to provide more details. However, by not  requesting to receive the automated notification, ICE will not have  information on registered sex offenders who committed offenses against  children, left the country via a land port of entry, and had their  biographical information queried at the port. Federal Agencies Do Not Share All Available Information They Have on Traveling Registered Sex Offenders with One Another, thus Limiting the Number and Content of Notifications Sent to Foreign Officials

USNCB provides more comprehensive information on sex offenders’  travel plans to its INTERPOL counterparts than ICE provides to its foreign  law enforcement counterparts, and the additional information that USNCB  has could help support ICE’s mission. Specifically, as shown in figure 2, from August 1 through  September 30, 2012, USNCB notified its counterparts of 105 offenders  that ICE did not provide to its counterparts. Similarly, ICE notified its  counterparts of 100 offenders that USNCB did not provide to its  counterparts. This is in part because the U.S. Taking steps to ensure that USNCB and ICE have information on the  same registered sex offenders traveling internationally—which could  entail, for example, the two agencies copying one another on notifications  to their foreign counterparts, or USNCB receiving information directly from  NTC—could help ensure that USNCB and ICE are providing more  comprehensive information on traveling registered sex offenders to their  foreign counterparts to help inform public safety decisions. Conclusions

Cases in which individuals who had previously been convicted of a sex  offense in the United States subsequently traveled overseas to commit an  offense against a child underscore the importance of sex offender  registration and notification standards to help ensure public safety in the  United States and abroad. Some of the limitations federal agencies have  faced with regard to identifying registered sex offenders leaving and  returning to the United States are expected to be addressed by the  automated notification the FBI is currently developing. To ensure that USNCB and ICE are providing more comprehensive  information to their respective foreign counterparts regarding registered  sex offenders traveling internationally, we recommend that the Attorney  General and the Secretary of Homeland Security take steps to help  ensure that USNCB and ICE have information on the same number of  registered sex offenders as well as the same level of detail on registered  sex offenders traveling internationally. To determine the extent to which these  officials have procedures in place to implement these requirements, we  addressed the following questions:  (1) How and to what extent does the federal government determine  whether registered sex offenders are leaving or returning to the United  States? (2) How and to what extent have federal agencies notified foreign  officials about registered sex offenders traveling internationally? Marshals)
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)  Washington – U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA)
Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS)
We excluded DOD from our review because under SORNA, the  departments responsible for dealing with registered sex offenders  traveling abroad were identified as DOJ, DHS, and State.
Why GAO Did This Study

In recent years, certain individuals who had been convicted of a sex offense in the United States have traveled overseas and committed offenses against children. GAO was asked to review what relevant federal agenciesincluding DOJ, DHS, and the Department of Stateare doing with regard to registered sex offenders traveling or living abroad. This report addresses the following questions: (1) How and to what extent does the federal government determine whether registered sex offenders are leaving or returning to the United States? (2) How and to what extent have federal agencies notified foreign officials about registered sex offenders traveling internationally? GAO analyzed August and September 2012 data from the U.S. Marshals, USNCB, and ICE on registered sex offenders who traveled internationally. GAO also interviewed relevant agency officials and surveyed officials from all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia to determine the extent to which they identify and use information on traveling sex offenders.

What GAO Found

Three federal agencies--U.S. Marshals, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Washington - U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--use information from state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions, as well as passenger data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to identify registered sex offenders traveling outside of the United States. Similarly, these agencies may be notified of registered sex offenders traveling to the United States through several means, including tips from foreign officials or when CBP queries the registered sex offender's biographic information at a port of entry and finds that the offender has a criminal history. However, none of these sources provides complete or comprehensive information on registered sex offenders leaving or returning to the United States. For example, CBP does not routinely query individuals who leave the United States by commercial bus, private vessel, private vehicle, or by foot, in which case CBP may not be able to determine if any of these individuals are registered sex offenders. In addition, foreign officials do not always monitor when a registered sex offender is returning to the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), working with other agencies, is developing a process that will address some of these limitations. Specifically, the FBI will send an automated notice to the U.S. Marshals and law enforcement officials in the jurisdictions where the sex offender is registered that the offender is traveling, to the extent that the offender's biographical information is queried at the port of entry. However, because ICE has not requested to receive the automated notifications, ICE will not be notified of registered sex offenders who leave the country via a land port of entry whose biographical information is queried.
USNCB and ICE have notified foreign officials of some registered sex offenders leaving and returning to the country, but could increase the number and content of these notifications. USNCB notifies its foreign INTERPOL counterparts about registered sex offenders traveling internationally, and ICE notifies its foreign law enforcement counterparts about traveling sex offenders who had committed an offense against a child. USNCB provides more detailed information than ICE because USNCB uses offenders' self-reported travel information that some jurisdictions collect, which may include details such as hotel information. Since ICE uses passenger data, it does not have these details. Also, data from August 1 to September 30, 2012, showed that the two agencies had significant differences in the number of offenders they identified in notifications. USNCB sent notifications on 105 traveling sex offenders that ICE did not, and, conversely, ICE sent notifications on 100 traveling sex offenders that USNCB did not. In part this is because the two agencies rely on different information sources and do not share information with one another. Taking steps to ensure that these agencies have all available information on the same registered sex offenders traveling internationally could help ensure that the agencies are providing more comprehensive information to their foreign counterparts to help inform public safety decisions.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that ICE consider receiving the automated notifications and DOJ and DHS take steps to ensure that USNCB and ICE (1) have information on the same number of traveling registered sex offenders and (2) have access to the same level of detail about each traveling registered sex offender. USNCB within DOJ and DHS concurred with our recommendations.