A large rescue count lacked basic equipment detail
Customs and Border Protection reported that Border Patrol responded to 3,302 rescue events in fiscal 2024. But its August 2025 report to Congress omitted the number of rescue beacons deployed in each area, how often they were used and what emergencies prompted use.
The Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act requires information about unidentified remains and rescue beacons. GAO said one official described some missing information as inadvertent and was unaware the rest had to be reported.
| Record | What was available | What was missing/pending |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2024 rescue activity | 3,302 events | Does not measure outcomes alone |
| FY 2025 report | Submitted August 2025 | Beacon counts by area |
| Beacon reporting | Locations discussed | Use frequency and emergency types |
| Program evaluation | Plan and fieldwork underway | Assessment expected September 2026 |
The internal procedure assigned responsibility without listing the rules
Border Patrol’s procedures named the program manager responsible for the annual report but did not enumerate the statutory reporting elements. That design made the process dependent on individual knowledge rather than a complete checklist.
GAO recommended documenting the requirements. Homeland Security agreed and said subject-matter experts had begun reviewing the procedures, with completion planned by October 30, 2026. The recommendation remained open on the report page.
Rescue volume is not an effectiveness measure
A high number of rescue events may reflect strong response, more people in distress, improved detection or several factors at once. GAO therefore continued to press for a program assessment rather than treating the event count as proof the program reduced deaths.
Border Patrol had developed an evaluation plan and conducted site visits, interviews and a staff survey. Officials expected to complete an assessment by September 2026, after GAO’s July evidence cutoff.
Method and boundary
GAO compared the 2025 congressional report with the statute and prior reports and reviewed internal procedures, system guides and evaluation plans. The newsroom separated the reported rescue-event count from the omitted beacon metrics and pending effectiveness work.
The records establish a reporting-control failure, not that beacons went unused or caused a death. Complete beacon data and the promised program assessment are necessary to judge placement, use and results.