Casper Could Lose Customs Presence

Casper, WY – Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas has scheduled a meeting with federal, state, and local officials on ways to keep a federal customs agent at the Casper airport. Two part-time customs agents currently clear about 300 flights per year the Natrona County International Airport. Those include FedEx flights and those for 19 Canadian companies with business ties to the state. Recent homeland security changes have prompted the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to upgrade part-time agents to full-time. Because of that, the patrol has proposed eliminating the two Casper positions or requiring the airport to pick up the costs of maintaining a full-time agent. Senator Thomas says the loss of what is Wyoming's only customs presence could hurt the state's ability to do business with FedEx and international companies.