Shenandoah Customs and Border Control

Shenandoah Customs and Border Control
Shenandoah Customs and Border Control badge
Common name	Customs and Border Control Customs Border Control
Abbreviation	SCBC
Agency overview
Formed	November 11, 1924 (1924-11-11)
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	Shenandoah
Operations jurisdiction	Shenandoah
Constituting instrument	Article 2 of the Commonwealth Charter, Amendment 2-2 of Article 2
General nature	Federal law enforcement
Operational structure
Headquarters	Saint Albans, Kanawha
Sworn members	7,211
Agency executive	Jennifer Wynne, Commissioner
Parent agency	Department of Justice Department of the Treasury

Shenandoah Customs and Border Control is the second largest federal law enforcement agency in the Shenandoahan Commonwealth, behind the Shenandoah Federal Protective Service. It is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing Shenandoahan regulations, including trade, customs, and immigration. The fundamental duty of the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control agency is to prevent the illegal entry of individuals and the smuggling of prohibited goods from entering the nation, and the investigation of customs and immigration violations.

Duties

The vast majority of officers and agents working for the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control are charged with patrolling the land border between the Shenandoahan Commonwealth and the Copperhead Republic to the south. Crossing the border into Shenandoahan from Copperhead without obtaining the property visa for entry and proceeding through one of the two established checkpoints is a federal offense under the Shenandoahan Federal Criminal Code, punishable by up to 20 years in prison or 10 years of hard labor. However, the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control is also responsible for securing ports and points of entry around the nation. More than 1,180 SCBC Officers inspect and examine passengers and cargo at 17 ports of entry into Shenandoah, with the main areas of operations being in Saint Albans, Whitefield,m Point Pleasant, Clarksburg, and Taeysport. In addition, over 500 agents nationwide are employed at the nation various international airports to inspect incoming passengers and freight. SCBC officers defend against terrorist intrusion by identifying high risk individuals who are attempting to enter into the Commonwealth; stop criminal activities such as drug trafficking, child pornography, weapons, and money laundering from entering the nation by inspecting vehicles and vessels arriving at points of entry.

Agents from the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control agency also work closely with the Shenandoah Coast Guard to prevent smugglers from bringing people, weapons, narcotics, and conveyances into the nation by air and water.

SCBC Officers

A group of SCBC officers working in the port of Whitefield

SCBC officers are federal law enforcement officers in the largest Shenandoah Customs and Border Control Office of Field Operations and empowered to exercise the authority and perform the duties provided by law and Department of Justice regulations, including making arrests, conducting searches, making seizures, bearing firearms, and serving any order or warrant. SCBC officers have full law enforcement powers on and off duty in any of the nine states of the Shenandoah Commonwealth.

Entry specialists

Some officers may become Entry Specialists and have the duty to interact with both importers and exporters and are responsible for decisions regarding merchandise, manufactured goods, and commodities. They are responsible for inspecting and appraising imported merchandise that enter the nation by land, sea or air and must determine which products may legally enter the country by enforcing laws protecting public health and safety, intellectual property rights and fair trade practices. These officers are often instrumental in detecting and deterring muggling, fraud, and counterfeiting.

Border Protection Officers

Border Protection Officers are assigned duties which see them actively patrolling the nations land borders to prevent persons from entering or leaving the Commonwealth without government permission. Border Protection Officers with the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control attempted to detect and prevent the smuggling and unlawful entry of aliens into the Shenandoah Commonwealth along land routes, and apprehend those people found to be in violation of immigration laws. Border Protection Officers are deputized under Article 8, Amendment 8-1 of the Commonwealth Charter, thereby having peace-officer status to enforce local laws as well federally mandated laws.

Some of the most important activities for Border Protection Officers involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists, illegal aliens and smugglers of both aliens and contraband at or near the land border by maintaining surveillance from a covert position, following up leads, responding to electronic sensor systems, aircraft sightings, and interpreting and following tracks, marks and other physical evidence. Some of the major activities are farm and ranch check, traffic check, traffic observation, city patrol, transportation check, administrative, intelligence, and anti-smuggling activities. Border Protection Officers receive extensive training in these techniques, as well as fieldcraft and survival with the Shenandoah Forestry Service

Agriculture Specialists

Some SCBC officers or agents with the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control may choose to undergo specialized training to become Agriculture Specialists. To become an Agriculture Specialists, an applicant must complete an 11 week training course which will allow them to serve as experts and technical consultants in the areas of inspection, intelligence, analysis, examination and law enforcement activities related to the importation of agricultural and commercial commodities. Agriculture Specialists learn a wide range of federal, state and local laws and agency regulations regarding agriculture. This training can be completed directly after basic training or at a later point in the agents career.

Although Agriculture Specialists work for and are sworn to uphold and enforce the laws governed under the jurisdiction of Shenandoah Customs and Border Control, they are also tasked with enforcing the laws governed by the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and the Shenandoah Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. Agriculture Specialists apply a wide range of federal, state and local laws and agency regulations, including those of the Commonwealth Institute for Viral Research and Containment, the Food and Drug Administration when determining the admissibility of agricultural commodities, or commodities in general, while regulating and/or preventing the introduction of restricted or prohibited products, harmful pests, diseases and potential agro-terrorism into the nation.

Air and Marine Specialists

Some SCBC officers or agents may elect to undergo special training with the Office of Air and Marine Operations. The Shenandoah Customs and Border Control maintains the largest aviation and marine law enforcement contingent of any law enforcement agency in the Shenandoahan Commonwealth. This specialized law enforcement capability allows SCBC agents to make significant contributions to the efforts of the Department of Justice, as well as to those of other federal, state, and local agencies. Air and Marine Specialists are uniquely positioned to provide direct air and maritime support to multiple agencies and to ensure the success of border protection and law enforcement operations between ports of entry, within the maritime domain and within the nation's interior. To accomplish its mission, the Office of Air and Marine Operations employs over 350 Shenandoah Customs and Border Control agents at 21 locations, operating more than 60 aircraft different types, including fixed and rotary wing aircraft, and approximately 120 maritime vessels.

Although often working in tandem with other agents and officers from the Office of Field Operations and the Office of Border Protection, agents with the Office of Air and Marine Operations do foten hold specialized titles to distinguish them from other agents or officers involved in their mission. These ranks include;

• Aviation Enforcement Agents: An Aviation Enforcement Agent serves as the primary federal law enforcement officer aboard Office of Air and Marine Operations aircraft.
• Air Interdiction Agents: Air Interdiction Agents serve as the pilot in command of an Office of Air and Marine Operations aircraft
• Marine Interdiction Agents: Marine Interdiction Agents are either the vessel commander or a crew member aboard an Office of Air and Marine Operations vessel

Revenue Service - Office of Finance

Nearly 2,500 employees in the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control revenue positions collect over $10 billion annually in entry duties and taxes through the enforcement of trade and tariff laws. In addition, these employees fulfill the agency's trade mission by appraising and classifying imported merchandise.

Enforcement powers

Agents with the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control have the authority to search outbound and inbound shipments, and uses targeting to carry out its mission in this area. Article 2 of the Commonwealth Charter specifically states that the federal government shall create and maintain a force to ensure the nations physical and monetary safety and security by conducting law enforcement activities within and regarding all points of ingress to the nation, be those points official or unofficial in nature." Article 2 mandates that Shenandoah Customs and Border Control agents may seize and forfeit all merchandise that is stolen, smuggled, or clandestinely imported or introduced into the nation by any means.

Merchandise may also be seized and forfeited if:

• Its importation is restricted or prohibited because of a law relating to health, safety or conservation;
• The merchandise is lacking a federal license required for the importation;
• The merchandise or packaging is in violation of copyright, trademark, trade name, or trade dress protections;
• The merchandise is intentionally or repetitively marked in violation of country of origin marking requirements; or
• The imported merchandise is subject to quantitative restrictions requiring a visa or similar document from a foreign government, and the document presented with the entry is counterfeit.

Uniquely among law enforcement agencies in Shenandoah, agents and officials with the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control have the authority to issue extrajudicial fines.

Organization

• Commissioner
  • Deputy Commissioner Chief of Staff
    • Office of Chief Counsel
    • Office of Intergovernmental Public Liaison
    • Office of Professional Responsibility
    • Office of Public Affairs
    • Office of Trade Relations
  • Deputy Commissioner of Operations
    • Office of Air and Marine Operations
    • Office of Field Operations
    • Office of Border Protection
    • Office of Intelligence
    • Office of International Affairs
  • Deputy Commissioner of Enterprise Services
    • Office of Acquisition
    • Office of Finance
    • Office of Human Resources Management
    • Office of Training and Development
    • Office of Information and Technology

Ranks

SCBC Officers and Agriculture Specialists

Grade		Insignia	Rank
FE-05 FE-06	FE-07 FE-08		SCBC Officer	SCBC Agriculture Specialist
FE-07 FE-08 FE-09 FE-10 FE-11	FE-09 FE-10 FE-11		SCBC Senior Officer	SCBC Agriculture Specialist
FE-12			SCBC Master Officer	SCBC Master Agriculture Specialist
			SCBC Leading Officer	SCBC Leading Agriculture Specialist	SCBC Intelligence Officer
FE-13			SCBC Supervisory Officer	SCBC Supervisory Agriculture Specialist	SCBC Senior Intelligence Officer
			SCBC Chief Officer	SCBC Chief Agriculture Specialist	SCBC Chief Intelligence Officer
FE-14			SCBC Assistant Area Commander	SCBC Assistant Watch Commander
FE-15			SCBC Area Commander	SCBC Watch Commander
SFS			Assistant Deputy Commissioner
			Deputy Commissioner
			Commissioner

Border Protection Officers and Special Operations Teams

Border Protection Officers officers are issued unique badges based on the same style as Shenandoah Customs and Border Control Agentsd, but in a subdued finish to mirror their uniform insignia.

Grade		Insignia		Rank
FE-06				Border Protection Officer
FE-07 FE-08 FE-09 FE-10				Senior Border Protection Officer
FE-11 FE-12				Master Border Protection Officer	Teamember
FE-13				Leading Border Protection Officer	Element Leader
				Supervisory Border Protection Officer	Squad Leader
FE-14				Chief Border Protection Officer	Platoon Leader
FE-15				Watch Commander	Special Operations Supervisor
SFS			Assistant Deputy Commissioner
			Deputy Commissioner
			Commissioner

Training

Agents and officers of the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control receive their training at the Federal Police Officer Training Center, located in South Saint Albans, Kanawha. Candidates undergo an intensive 17–19 week training program training program. Basic training for officers includes basic law enforcement skills, as well as advanced training topics including antiterrorism training; contraband detection techniques; cross-cultural communications; various laws and regulations pertaining to immigration, naturalization, import/export laws, and examination techniques of cargo, bags, and merchandise.

Agents career tracks start on two paths. Agents completing basic training may be assigned to the Office of Field Operations as SCBC Officers and placed where needed to work at entry and exit points throughout the nation.

Other cadets may choose to undergo specialized training and enter the Customs and Border Control service as Agriculture Specialists, undergoing a further 11 week training course which will allow them to serve as experts and technical consultants in the areas of inspection, intelligence, analysis, examination and law enforcement activities related to the importation of agricultural and commercial commodities. Agriculture Specialists learn a wide range of federal, state and local laws and agency regulations regarding agriculture.

seeking to become Border Protection Officers attend an additional 13-week course in Tidewater, Cumberland. This training hones officers skills in immigration and nationality laws as well as weapons and marksmanship, and includes a three week course hosted by the Shenandoah Forestry Service covering wilderness survival and fieldcraft.

Weapons and equipment

Shenandoah Customs and Border Control officers and agents are issued either a McLear 1220, McLear 1221 or McLear 1222 handgun.

All officers and agents with the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control are trained to use the Grady Repeating Arms M-2 and many specialists are qualified with the Redhawk Firearms M-3 Carbine as well as various submachine guns such as the Blitz & Keckler M-2A4 and Pequeñoya Armería M-3. Officers also utilize a variety of less-lethal options, such as the Tintreach conducted electrical weapon, telescoping batons, and OC spray