Ahern in at U.S. Customs
Jayson P. Ahern has been named deputy commissioner of the United States Customs and Border Protection, effective in August, when the current deputy commissioner, Deborah Spero, retires.
Ahern is currently assistant commissioner for field operations and oversees 20 field offices, 326 ports of entry, 50 operational Container Security Initiative ports worldwide and 15 pre-clearance stations in Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean, as well as more than 24,000 employees.
A 31-year customs veteran, Ahern served as director of field operations for Southern California and has been principal field manager of customs port operations in Los Angeles and Miami. He also served twice in CBP headquarters in Washington, D.C., once as director of the anti-smuggling division and once as senior advisor of customs, a position in which he developed narcotics interdiction programs and initiatives for Latin America.
Ahern’s accomplishments were recently recognized by President George W. Bush, who give him the rank of “distinguished executive.” —Alison A. Nieder
