Tax revenues are also at a record high, thanks to two reform-minded officials who head the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, which have traditionally been impregnable fortresses of graft.

CNN: SHARE THIS

The Obama administration promises to send several hundred more agents to the border, both from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ECONOMIST: Mexico and the United States

Meanwhile, exports rose 6.4%, driven up mainly by shipments of manufactured goods, the customs and tariff bureau said.

BBC: Japan trade deficit hits record as yen weakens

Other federal agencies such as the U.S. Customs Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation use dogs to find contraband, cocaine or criminals.

CNN: Canines patrol grounds daily

Operation Smoking Dragon was an investigation run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

FORBES: Scary Crimes Uncovered by FBI in Operation Smoking Dragon