Imposter ID'd With Facial Recognition Technology At Local Airport

DULLES, VA — The Simplified Arrival process helped U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at Washington Dulles International Airport identify an imposter through mismatched travel documents.

Simplified Arrival is CBP's biometrical facial comparison process that allows them to detect mismatched travel documents and photos at U.S. ports of entry. On Tuesday, the traveler in question arrived from Ethiopia through Ireland. CBP officers were able to detect a mismatch between a Senegal passport and U.S. travel visa.

The CBP officers then put the individual through a secondary inspection, which uncovered a discrepancy between the imposter's fingerprints and the authentic passport owner, who had applied for the travel visa. The imposter refused to identify himself.

Posing as someone else while attempting to enter the U.S. is a violation of immigration law. Following an investigation, officials declined to pursue criminal prosecution. Instead, the man was ordered removed under administrative immigration law.

“Customs and Border Protection officers remain ever vigilant against the entry of travelers masquerading as others to deliberately circumvent our immigration laws and we are determined to not let that happen,” said Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, in a release. “CBP facilitates lawful international trade and travel and our border security mission is vital to ensure the safety and security of our nation, our economy, and our citizens.”

Customs officials have identified nearly 300 imposters since 2018 by using biometric facial comparison technology.