US House Subcommittee hearing on shipment of illicit drugs in international mail
The US House Subcommittee on Government Operations is scheduled to hold a hearing today (7 September) to “examine how the US Postal Service’s (USPS) security standards for international mail facilitate an influx of illicit drugs to the United States”. The hearing will also consider a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which assessed the costs and benefits of using electronic data to screen items sent through international mail.
According to a notice on the US House website: “USPS reported a 54% increase on inbound international mail volume from FY 2012 to FY 2016. The rise of e-commerce paired with the lack of adequate security screening measures creates a way for items to enter the country virtually unchecked through inbound international mail.
“Under USPS’ current system, the majority of packages sent from foreign countries can enter the U.S. without having advanced electronic data processed by our national intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”
Witnesses scheduled to speak at the hearing include:
- Gregory Thome, Director of the Office of U.N. Specialized and Technical Agencies Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Guy Cottrell, Chief Postal Inspector, USPS
- Todd C. Owen, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- Lori Rectanus, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, US Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Tammy Whitcomb, Acting Inspector General, USPS
The hearing is set to start at 2pm.
