This bill establishes a pilot program within U.S. Customs and Border Protection to create image technician positions that will review images of cargo and conveyances entering and exiting the U.S. to identify contraband and other illegal activities.
James Lankford
Senator
OK
The "BEST Facilitation Act" establishes a pilot program within U.S. Customs and Border Protection to create image technician positions that will review images of cargo and conveyances entering and exiting the U.S. to identify potential contraband or illegal activity. These technicians, supervised by CBP officers, will undergo specialized training and annual assessments, and will be located in five regional command centers. The Act also mandates semiannual reports to Congress detailing the program's implementation, performance metrics, and impact on interdiction rates and CBP operations. The pilot program is set to sunset after five years, with provisions for transferring the image technician positions to other roles within CBP or DHS.
Border Security Gets a Tech Upgrade: New 'Image Techs' to Scan Cargo in 5-Year Pilot Program
The "Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade Facilitation Act of 2025" (or the "BEST Facilitation Act," if you're into acronyms) is launching a 5-year experiment to speed up cargo checks at the border. Here's the deal: It creates two new jobs within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – Image Technician 1 and 2 – but these aren't law enforcement positions. Think of them more like specialized screeners.
Eyes on the Screen: What Image Techs Will Do
These new Image Techs will be stationed at five regional command centers, looking at images of cargo containers and vehicles coming in and out of the U.S. (via land, sea, air, and rail). Their main job? Spot anything fishy – drugs, weapons, illegal goods, or people trying to sneak across the border – based on non-intrusive inspection tech images. If they see something, they flag it for the actual CBP officers, who still have the final say on whether to release or inspect cargo (Section 411(g)). The Image Tech 2s will also get intel from the National Targeting Center and report back on any new tricks smugglers are trying.
For example, imagine a truck driver hauling produce across the border. The Image Techs will analyze scans of the truck and its cargo. If they spot an anomaly – say, a hidden compartment that doesn't look like tomatoes – they'll alert a CBP officer for a closer look. Or picture a shipping container arriving at a port. The techs will review the images, and if everything looks legit, it could mean faster processing and shorter wait times for the shipping company.
Training and Check-Ups: Keeping it Legit
These positions are being filled by current CBP employees – no outside contractors. They'll get specific training on analyzing images, spotting illegal stuff, and, importantly, protecting privacy and civil rights. They'll also be tested annually on their accuracy and speed (Section 411(g)). Supervisory CBP Officers will oversee the Image Techs, and those supervisors will also receive additional training.
The Big Picture: Will It Work?
This is a pilot program, so it's a test run. The bill is clear that this doesn't change the authority of CBP officers (Section 411(g)). After five years, the whole thing sunsets, unless it's renewed. The Image Tech positions could be transferred to other roles within CBP or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (Section 411(g)).
The big question is: Will this actually make a difference? Will it speed things up, catch more bad stuff, or just add another layer of bureaucracy? CBP has to report back to Congress every six months with detailed stats: how many techs are working, how many images they're scanning, how accurate they are, and – crucially – whether this is actually improving interdiction rates and wait times at ports of entry (Section 3). They'll even have to compare how the Image Techs perform compared to regular CBP officers. So, we'll have some hard data to see if this tech-focused approach is worth it.