MIA Asking For More Customs & Border Protection Agents
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – While international passenger traffic has exploded at Miami International Airport, staffing for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at MIA has not kept up. That's the focus of a meeting Monday between county and federal officials.
Local and federal officials are calling for an increase in the staffing to keep up with the constantly growing traffic at the airport. Overall, international passenger traffic has jumped 24 percent at MIA in the past five years, the most of any U.S. airport.
"Our complaints here are getting to be nastier, quite frankly. We've had two operators say that unless things pick up, they're not going to recommend Miami anymore," MIA director Emilio Gonzalez told WIOD. "So it's not good."
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Director Gonzalez were expected to speak about the problem Monday afternoon before Gonzalez boards a flight to Washington, D.C. where he will meet with senior CBP and Department of Homeland Security.
The meetings are expected to discuss possible solutions for the CBP shortage at MIA.
"We need to be able to bring officers from other areas to be able to increase the number of men," Gonzalez said.