SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday the first agreement under the Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) with a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) located in the Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
CBP Commissioner Gil R. Kerlikowske signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Celso E. Lopez, President of Copeca Jet Center, LLC.
from left to right): Celso E. Lopez,
President of Copeca Jet Center, and
Marcelino Borges, CBP Director of Field
Operations in Puerto Rico and the USVI.
(Standing) Carlos Gomez, Assistant Area
Port Director, and Edwin Cruz, Area Port
Director.
Pursuant to Section 559 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, CBP is authorized to enter into partnerships with private sector and government entities to provide new or expanded services on a reimbursable basis. Reimbursable services include customs and agricultural processing, border security, support, and immigration inspection-related matters at ports of entry.
“We look forward to a continued partnership through the RSP Agreement with Copeca Jet Center to expand the hours of services provided by our agency in Aguadilla,” stated Marcelino Borges, Director of Field Operations for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. “I am confident that with this first agreement other stakeholders emulate this company by applying to this program when it opens again.”
The RSP has proved to be a win-win venture; companies receive the benefit of CBP services and the agency is reimbursed for the costs of these services This agreement will allow Copeca to offer international clearance process to their customers after normal business hours. In the past CBP did not provide these services due to limited resources.
“This agreement allows our company to provide seamless services to our corporate and general aviation clients that arrive from international destinations,” stated Celso E. Lopez, President of Copeca Jet Center, LLC. “
Associated costs may include the salaries of additional staff, overtime hours, administration, and transportation expenses.
Copeca Jet Center, LLC is a locally owned and operated FBO that provides services to corporate and general aviation at the Rafael Hernández International Airport.
Letters of application will be evaluated based on their individual merit and ability to satisfy the evaluation criteria posted on CBP.gov. Applicants and interested parties may submit questions regarding the Reimbursable Services Program via email at 559reimbursableservices@cbp.dhs.gov.
The Reimbursable Services Program is a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy. The program enables CBP to support additional requests for services while also managing rising volumes of travel and trade that are critical to our economy. In the first 18 months of the program, CBP was able to provide more than 93,000 additional processing hours at primary lanes and booths, which contributed to both increased border throughput and decreased border wait times.
Interested entities, located in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, please contact the CBP San Juan Field Office at 787-729-6950 for additional information on this program.