Why it’s time to strengthen identity verification in Latin America, according to Arif Mamedov, CEO at Regula Forensics.
Over the past decade, border control infrastructure in Latin America has made significant advancements, particularly in major airports where international arrivals are processed.
The rollout of automated e-gates – equipped with biometric readers and electronic passport (e-passport) chip validation – are rather common in countries like Brazil, Mexico and Chile.
It has sped up passenger flows, reduced queues and in the end, delivered a smoother experience for travelers.
But beneath this progress lies a growing imbalance. While airport systems increasingly combine biometric verification with chip reading, many still stop at basic checks.
For example, e-gates go as far as confirming the machine-readable zone (MRZ) and matching it to the data in the chip, but do not validate the chip’s security certificates or examine the physical document’s security elements.
What is more concerning: outside airports, land and sea border crossings are often left far behind.
They have limited technology, fewer trained personnel and infrastructure that cannot match the verification standards of modern terminals.
At airports, travelers arrive in controlled environments where document scanners, biometric readers and database connectivity are standard.
At remote land and maritime posts in many countries of Latin America, officers still may have only basic inspection tools, or none at all. Many must rely on visual checks or partial MRZ scans.
This leaves no way to confirm the authenticity of the chip, verify security features under various light sources or perform other deep examinations of travel documents.
This disparity is particularly risky now that irregular migration has become a persistent challenge.
In recent years, large numbers of people from countries facing political instability have crossed borders by land, sometimes without valid documents or carrying IDs issued under less stringent security standards.
In such cases, the ability to apply the same robust verification, which is available at airports, is essential to prevent fraudulent or altered documents from slipping through.
Unlike airports, where travelers are typically pre-screened and traffic is more predictable, land and maritime borders often deal with:
In these conditions, identity fraud becomes even harder to detect.
To close the gap and tackle a greater variety of identity fraud, including the most sophisticated, border agencies in the Americas should focus on several key areas.
First and foremost, today’s reality calls for deploying multi-layered identity authentication by combining biometric verification with forensic-level document checks.
This includes:
It’s equally vital to equip remote and mobile teams.
Portable verification kits, capable of reading e-passports, analyzing photos and performing database queries, allow land and maritime posts to match the capabilities of airport identity systems.
A mobile workstation is a prime example.
Compact, handheld workstations can combine multiple forensic tools in one device.
UV and IR light sources can reveal visible and covert security elements that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
Integrated RFID readers can not only access data from e-passport chips but also validate their digital certificates to ensure authenticity.
Built-in face matching modules can compare the portrait in the document, the image stored in the chip and a live photo taken on the spot, while a fingerprint scanner with live finger detection safeguards against spoofing attempts.
Together, these capabilities enable border control officers to verify identities with forensic precision – anywhere, under any conditions.
Last but not least, it’s crucial to properly train personnel. Technology is only part of the solution.
Border control officers need to understand the full variety of identity fraud methods and their risks, know how to flag suspicious documents and work with forensic experts for real-time support.
Border security in the Americas is only as strong as its weakest link.
While investment in airport upgrade and automation has brought clear benefits, the disparity in capabilities at land and sea borders creates vulnerabilities that cannot be ignored anymore.
It’s time that every border in Latin America adopt a comprehensive, multi-layered approach that covers everything from physical document checks to e-chip and certificate validation to portrait integrity analysis and advanced fraud detection.
Equal attention to all entry points, supported by portable forensic tools and well-trained personnel, will help the region operate with the same standard of trust and security, stay ahead of evolving threats and maintain efficient and secure border crossings for all travelers.
This article was originally published in the February edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.