USDOJ/OIG Special Report
The Rafael Resendez-Ramirez Case:
A Review of the INS's Actions and the Operation of
Its IDENT Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(March 20, 2000)
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
- Chapter One: Introduction
- Background
- The OIG Investigation
- Organization of the OIG Report
- Chapter Two: Background to IDENT
- History of IDENT
- Description of How IDENT Works
- IDENT Processing
- Comparison of the Aliens Fingerprints to IDENT
Databases
- The IDENT Lookout Database
- The IDENT Recidivist Database
- Other Databases
- Chapter Three: Resendezs Criminal History and
Apprehensions by the Border Patrol Before 1999
- Resendezs Criminal History
- Resendezs Seven Apprehensions and Voluntary
Returns to Mexico in 1998
- Background
- Resendezs Seven Apprehensions in 1998
- First Apprehension - January 5, 1998
- Second Apprehension January 7, 1998
- Third Apprehension January 8, 1998
- Fourth Apprehension April 17, 1998
- Fifth Apprehension April 21, 1998
- Sixth Apprehension April 22, 1998
- Seventh Apprehension November 3, 1998
- Chapter Four: The Investigation of Resendez for
Murder
- The Murder of Dr. Benton
- The Police Attempt to Place Lookouts for Resendez
- The Police Contact Houston INS Investigators About
Resendez
- A Texas Ranger Contacts Another Houston INS
Investigator About Resendez
- The Weekly Intelligence Report With Information on
Resendez
- The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force
- The FBI Enters the Resendez Investigation
- Chapter Five: The Border Patrol Apprehends and
Voluntarily Returns Resendez to Mexico on June 1, 1999
- Chapter Six: The Search for and Surrender of
Resendez
- The FBI Multi-Agency Task Force
- A Lookout Notice is Sent to Border Patrol Sectors
- Resendez is Enrolled in IDENTs Lookout Database
- Initiative by Border Patrol Agent Estevis
- Initiative by United States Marshals Service
Inspector Sorukas
- The INSs Investigation into the Resendez Matter
- Resendez Surrenders
- Chapter Seven: OIG Analysis of the Border
Patrols Apprehensions and Voluntary Returns of Resendez in 1998 and 1999
- The Voluntary Returns of Resendez Were in
Accord with Standard Border Patrol Practices and Procedures
- The Border Patrol Agents who Processed Resendez in
IDENT Made Mistakes, Although These Mistakes Did Not Affect Their Decision to Voluntarily
Return Resendez
- Allowing IDENT to Auto Verify Previous Apprehensions
- Denying Valid Hits
- Lack of Established Prosecution Thresholds
- Chapter Eight: OIG Analysis of the Actions of INS
Investigators and Intelligence Officers Who Were Involved in the Resendez Case
- IDENT Lookout Policy
- Houston INS Investigators
- Special Agent Kelly Dozier
- Special Agent Marco Saltarelli and His Supervisors
- Special Agent Albert Plasket
- Information From IDENT Would Have Been Useful to The
Law Enforcement Agencies Seeking Resendez
- INS Intelligence Officers from the Houston District
Office and Central Region
- Other INS Employees
- INS Liaisons with the Gulf Coast Task Force
- Senior Special Agent Thomas Cason
- Conclusions
- Chapter Nine: OIG Analysis of Broader Problems
with the INSs Implementation and Use of IDENT
- The Design of IDENT
- The INSs Implementation of IDENT
- IDENT Training
- Training Recommendations in the OIGs 1998
Inspection Report and the INSs Response
- The INS Failed to Train INS Employees Adequately on
IDENT
- Training in the El Paso and Del Rio Border
Patrol Sectors
- Training in the Houston Investigations Office
- Training for Intelligence Employees
- The IDENT Lookout and Alert Policy
- Development and Distribution of the Policy
- The OIGs 1998 Inspection Report
- The INSs Response
- Houston Investigations Office
- El Paso and Del Rio Border Patrol Sectors
- Detention and Deportation Offices
- Problems with IDENTIX Livescan Machines
- Conclusions
- Chapter Ten: Integration of IDENT with FBI
Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems
- A. History of Efforts to Integrate INS and
FBI Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems
- Early Discussions About Integration
- Deployment of IDENT
- JMDs 1995 Report
- JMDs 1998 Report
- Current Status of Integration
- Conclusions
- Chapter Eleven: OIG Recommendations
- The Operation of IDENT
- Training and Education on IDENT
- Integration of IDENT with Other Criminal and INS
Databases
- Other Recommendations
- Chapter Eleven: OIG Conclusions
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Names
Appendix B: History of IDENT
Appendix C: INS and Criminal Databases
Appendix D: Details of Resendez's Criminal History
Appendix E: Exhibits
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