The remaining 655 investigations involved referrals from each of the four APHIS programs and Customs and Border Protection. Of those cases, 734 consisted of referrals in support of agricultural quarantine inspection activities and were handled as part of the expedited resolution program. In fiscal year 2022, Investigative and Enforcement Services opened a total of 1,389 new cases. These cases are completed as part of an expedited resolution program, in which Customs and Border Protection refers a case to APHIS while simultaneously providing evidence related to the alleged violation. Finally, Investigative and Enforcement Services conducts a streamlined review of most cases involving alleged regulated garbage and passenger baggage violations in support of agricultural quarantine inspection activities. Other cases may be more straightforward, where the initial evidence clearly substantiates the alleged violation, allowing Investigative and Enforcement Services to more quickly process the case to help APHIS officials determine the appropriate resolution. territories, and include multiple alleged violations-any of which might require extensive investigative resources to obtain sufficient evidence to determine whether an alleged violation has occurred. Some cases may involve multiple individuals or organizations, traverse multiple states and/or U.S. The Enforcement Actions tabs below describe the various types of enforcement actions APHIS took during fiscal year 2022 and show the distribution of those enforcement actions among the APHIS programs.ĪPHIS Investigative and Enforcement Services cases involve investigative, enforcement, and regulatory support services for the four APHIS programs it serves, as well as for agricultural quarantine inspection activities carried out by the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection.Įach case is different and may vary in investigative scope, complexity, and time required to review. These options include issuing regulatory correspondence (such as an official warning) to the individuals or businesses involved in the alleged violation offering to resolve the case through a stipulated penalty and referring the case to the USDA Office of the General Counsel for formal administrative action before the USDA Office of Administrative Law Judges or referral to the U.S. It is important to recognize that these enforcement actions are just one tool APHIS uses to promote compliance, and this tool is only one aspect of the Agency’s mission to protect the health and value of American agriculture.ĪPHIS has a number of available options to resolve a case in which the evidence substantiates that an alleged violation has occurred. Investigative and Enforcement Services’ Enforcement Summaries provide a summary of the enforcement actions APHIS has taken to help promote compliance with APHIS-administered laws.
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