Ray Provencio

Ray Provencio currently serves as the Acting Executive Director for Admissibility and Passenger Programs (APP) within the Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). As part of his role, he directs and oversees multiple national level program divisions that advance national security and facilitate entry/exit to and from the United States by providing the field innovative technologies, policies, and tools to streamline lawful trade and travel.

Mr. Provencio oversees the following divisions within APP: Admissibility Review Office (ARO), Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS), Enforcement Programs Division (EPD), External Engagements and Initiatives (EEI), Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit (FDAU), Systems Enforcement Analysis and Review (SEAR), Traveler Entry Programs (TEP), Traveler Authorization and Communications (TAC) and Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP).

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Provencio served as the Port Director, for the Port of El Paso. The Port of El Paso encompasses three distinct international bridges, one commercial import facility, two international railroad operations, one international airport operation and a Foreign Trade Zone that covers the entire City of El Paso and part of the county. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Provencio served as Acting Director Field Operations, in El Paso, Texas. In this role, he provided oversight of operational matters in New Mexico and West Texas extending to the Big Bend region. During his tenure with CBP, Mr. Provencio has established a rather unique career path, having worked at all levels in the field and field office to include Supervisor, Chief, Watch Commander, Port Director, Assistant Director-Field Operations and Deputy Director-Field Operations. Mr. Provencio has also worked in permanent headquarters assignments, as well as several temporary assignments overseeing national policy up to the Director level.

Mr. Provencio has led numerous efforts to continuously improve OFO operations, to include the implementation of Unified Cargo Processing - a binational effort that reduces redundancies in commercial inspections, reduces wait times for cross border trade, and further rewards participants of CBP's Trusted Traveler Programs. He has been involved in various high-level projects that are national in scope, to include the negotiation of two Collective Bargaining Agreements, served as acting Chief of Staff for the OFO, Chief of Staff for the Southwest Border Coordination Center at the Department of Homeland Security and Team Lead in Kuwait during Operation Allies Welcome.

Ray Provencio is a native El Pasoan, attended the University of Texas at El Paso, and is a 2010 graduate of the CBP Command Leadership Academy, a 2018 graduate of the CBP Leadership Institute and was appointed as a career member of the Senior Executive Service in June of 2022.