While the agencies use a variety of  assets, in some cases the air and marine assets are similar or have similar  mission capabilities. DHS Has Undertaken Efforts to Address Efficient Use of Air and Marine Assets

		DHS Aviation and Boat Councils Identified Opportunities to Achieve Cost Efficiencies and Savings Involving the Department’s Air and Marine Assets

DHS has taken steps over the last 2 years to review the practices used by  USCG, CBP, and ICE to acquire, operate, and maintain their air and marine  assets and train the personnel that operate them. Specifically, the contractor study examined DHS’s  aviation capabilities in relation to the collective assets of these three  agencies and identified overlaps in aviation capability, assets, training,  maintenance and logistics, facilities, and acquisition that could be  minimized to achieve efficiencies and reduce operating expenses. To  address one of the contractor study’s recommendations, the council issued  a broad-based departmentwide “concept of operations” plan to DHS senior  management in April 2005 that establishes a framework for how the  agencies can work collaboratively in a joint environment to accomplish  mission priorities. For example, rather than initiating a separate procurement, CBP  acquired six boats through an existing Coast Guard contract and saved  $300,000 by taking advantage of USCG’s large-volume discounts. According to DHS, the purpose of the transfer was to consolidate air  and marine operations within the BTS directorate, to realign and  streamline agency resources, and allow DHS to maximize the use of its  aircraft and pilots, as well as gain potential efficiencies in support areas,  such as maintenance, acquisition, and training. Coordination among Agencies Initiated by Local Unit Leadership

The types of air and marine asset coordination efforts practiced by USCG,  CBP, and ICE units at the locations we visited varied and were primarily  informal and based on the willingness of local unit commanders to  cooperate with each other, according to the local unit officials with whom  we spoke. This combined area represents over   1,600 miles of coastline and over 30,000 square miles of open water that  the agencies have responsibility for patrolling and keeping secure. For example,  USCG, ICE, and CBP local unit officials told us that the agencies  developed weekly air and marine schedules that helped increase law  enforcement coverage in the area. The agencies employed fixed wing aircraft,  helicopters, and boats to cover this area. USCG also provides  docking space for CBP boats. Local officials also cited differences in asset capabilities as limiting  opportunities for asset coordination. Headquarters officials cited potential legal issues that could limit efforts to  coordinate the use of assets among agencies. The Homeland Security Act  of 2002, which established DHS, prohibited the diversion of USCG assets  to any other organization or entity of DHS, except for details or  assignments that do not reduce the USCG’s capability to perform its  missions. One of the ongoing challenges facing the department is balancing the need  for a department-level coordinated, integrated approach to implementing  border security while supporting the efforts of agencies with border  security responsibilities, including the United States Coast Guard,  Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs  Enforcement, as they fulfill their missions in the field. As  part of these initiatives, DHS needs to ensure that guidance provided by  the department will address the coordination of air and marine assets  within CBP, as well as ensure that the role and use of USCG air and  marine assets in homeland security missions is coordinated with CBP.
Why GAO Did This Study

Three agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have primary responsibility for securing the nation's borders--the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Together, they enforce security across 7,500 miles of land border between the United States and Mexico and Canada, and protect more than 361 seaports and 95,000 miles of coastline. To fulfill their missions, these agencies deploy a variety of valuable air and marine assets. In this report, GAO analyzed (1) what efforts DHS has undertaken to facilitate coordination of the air and marine assets of the three agencies and (2) how the agencies' local air and marine units have, in selected areas, coordinated the use of assets and what challenges they faced.

What GAO Found

DHS established departmental councils that have identified opportunities to achieve cost savings or cost efficiencies involving the department's air and marine assets--airplanes, helicopters, and boats. Specifically, the aviation council issued a plan that provides a framework for increasing coordination and collaboration across agencies in the operation and support of aviation assets and resources. For example, the plan identifies opportunities to improve the tracking of aviation assets, develop standardized training programs across agencies, and consolidate maintenance programs and facilities. An additional plan outlines a broad-based approach for effectively employing the department's aviation assets. The boats council helped CBP take advantage of large-volume discounts to purchase six boats through an existing USCG contract, saving an estimated $300,000. DHS officials said they are also developing a plan for merging the assets and personnel of the Air and Marine Operations division of ICE with CBP. This effort is intended to enable DHS to maximize the use of its aircraft and pilots and gain potential efficiencies in maintenance, acquisition, and training. DHS expects to finish planning how this effort will be accomplished by September 30, 2005. The agencies at the four locations GAO visited had undertaken efforts to coordinate assets and related training on an ad hoc basis because of the willingness of local commanders to cooperate with each other. For example, in South Florida, the three agencies jointly developed weekly air and marine schedules for the aircraft and boats they deploy to increase coverage in the area and reduce duplication of patrols. In Bellingham, Washington, USCG provided training to CBP staff, enabling CBP boat operators to supplement USCG crew. Officials at all locations noted that challenges affect the extent to which such coordination can reasonably occur. For example, some assets are not shared because agencies' needs differ. Headquarter officials also cited potential legal issues that could limit efforts to coordinate the use of assets among agencies, such as prohibition of the diversion of USCG assets to any other organization or entity of DHS. Local unit officials stated that DHS needed to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the agencies in conducting their homeland security missions to ensure that DHS's air and marine assets are used in an efficient and coordinated manner that optimizes use of DHS's resources.