Government Audit Exposes Critical Security Gaps: Inmate Visitation Violations, Unregistered Borders, and Weapons in the Hands of Convicted Criminals

Original article: Internos con visita prohibida, fronteras sin registro y armas en manos de condenados: Contraloría revela agujeros críticos en el sistema de seguridad

The first Audit Results Consolidation (CRA) 2025 from the General Comptroller of the Republic, released on Tuesday, December 16, reveals a troubling picture concerning security measures: inmates receiving visits despite prohibitions, borders lacking centralized records of illegal entries, stolen vehicles going unfound, weapons in the possession of convicted felons, and drug destruction delayed by months, far beyond legal timelines.

This is the CRA No. 1 of 2025, a report compiling observations from 62 audits conducted between January 2023 and July 2025. The focus was on three priority areas: public safety, control of weapons and ammunition, and drug seizure and destruction. Of these 62 audits, 22 were classified as confidential due to containing sensitive information. The organization explained that the CRA aims to synthesize information in a more straightforward manner, facilitating decision-making and enhancing citizen oversight over the State.

Prisons: Prohibited Visits, Outdated Signal Jammers, and Lack of Raids

The penitentiary realm raises multiple alarms. The report revealed that 1,279 inmates received visits despite ongoing prohibitions, and 1,539 individuals entered prisons under access restrictions. Additionally, a concerning statistic undermines system credibility: 479 individuals identified as private attorneys could not prove their profession upon entry. The report further indicates that only 12.7% of prisons have signal jammers to block mobile phone signals, and in places where they exist, these devices predominantly operate on outdated 2G technology, while most mobile phones today function on 4G or 5G networks. Essentially, the system is technologically behind, coexisting with the possibility of wifi communication within facilities, prompting the Comptroller to label it as obsolete and ineffective.

The diagnosis worsens when analyzing internal control planning: in 70 of the 79 closed-system establishments, ordinary raids were not planned for 2024, despite these procedures being a fundamental tool to prevent and detect illicit activities within penal institutions.

Borders Without Registries and Ineffective Vehicle Controls

The chapter on border control also paints a poor picture of the State’s handling. The Comptroller found that some officials deployed in these areas lacked the necessary medical exams and certifications for the jobs they perform. Furthermore, not all visits to border landmarks were conducted, nor were all promised sovereignty patrols completed. A particularly sensitive issue is the absence of a centralized registry for individuals who enter the country through unauthorized crossings: this crucial information for any serious migration control or criminal policy is simply not organized in a unified system.

Similar deficiencies were found in public order and vehicle inspections. Audits confirmed that 25 police vehicles were operating with inoperative cameras, alongside cases where officials lacked up-to-date psychological evaluations or certification for using less-lethal weaponry. The report noted that across route controls, 626 vehicles reported as stolen were not recovered, and 144 individuals with active judicial orders were not arrested during inspections. Additionally, 145,715 traffic procedures did not verify license plates in the unified system, and 869 infractions that required vehicle impoundment were not enforced.

Weapons, Ammunition, and Drugs: Weak Traceability and Breached Legal Deadlines

The area of weapons and ammunition control reveals equally alarming cracks. The Comptroller identified unregistered weapons in control records, a lack of documentation in seizure procedures, and absence of traceability in the systems of the police and correctional services. For the Navy, the organization noted that there is no specific computer system for documenting the assignment and return of weapons, complicating the tracking of these firearms.

In the General Directorate of National Mobilization (DGMN), the CRA describes risk scenarios: individuals with active convictions still possessing weapons registered under their names, purchases of ammunition exceeding legal limits, and firearms connected to deceased individuals without evidence of having been transferred or decommissioned.

The final focus of the report addresses the seizure and destruction of drugs. The Comptroller found that police failed to meet the legal deadline of 24 hours for submitting reception records and chains of custody to the Public Ministry, with delays reaching up to 288 days. There were also discrepancies between the reported weight of drugs and what was ultimately recorded, with variations of up to 32 kilograms in some instances. Additionally, many police custody rooms effectively functioned as storage facilities, lacking adequate protocols, while several health facilities exhibited deficiencies in security and substance control.

As for drug destruction, the outlook is similarly grim: the report notes delays of up to 189 days, despite regulations stipulating a maximum period of 15 days for such destruction. Furthermore, nine agencies were found to have expired controlled medications, with discrepancies between inventories and what was actually stored.

Summaries, Denunciations, and Actions Resulting from the Comptroller Report

Regarding actions arising from the report, the Comptroller indicates that based on this set of audits, 3 disciplinary procedures and 35 summary processes were initiated, along with 9 reports sent to the Public Ministry, one to the State Defense Council, and another to the Aviation Prosecutor’s Office.

Collectively, this first CRA of 2025 not only provides figures but also exposes a chain of weaknesses spanning the entire system: from prisons and borders to street controls, weaponry, and drugs. These are the «critical holes» that the Comptroller is now bringing to the forefront while the country discusses security matters almost daily.

Check out the Audit Results Consolidation (CRA) No. 1 of 2025 from the Comptroller:

AUDIT RESULTS CONSOLIDATION 1 by lahuanche