Border Interviews: The Roadblock Technique

Watching episodes of 'To Catch A Smuggler,' it's obvious that officers often face several dead ends when dealing with evasive passengers. In one particular episode, a CBP officer asked a potential internal smuggler the last name of the 'friend' he visited in Panama. However, the passenger responded that he didn't know much about his so-called friend. This exchange left the officer frustrated, who unwillingly had to move to another question. If you're tired of hitting dead ends in your interviews, learn the 'Roadblock' method to ensure you get all the information possible from each question.

Roadblock Concept

Much like road workers place several obstacles along a street to guide you away from danger or construction zones, the Roadblock Method in interviews places a series of questions to guide the interviewee towards a specific information. This principle gives the interviewee no other choice but to answer truthfully the crucial question.

Roadblock Technique: How It Works

To illustrate the Roadblock Method, let's examine the line of questioning with the suspected narcotics smuggler. The officer was skilled, but he encountered a dead-end when trying to obtain the last name of the passenger's contact without setting up the roadblocks. The passenger easily evaded the question by simply stating, "I don't really know him" providing an easy escape.

First Step: Identify Key Information

The initial step involves identifying the crucial information or evidence required to either confirm or dismiss a suspicion. In this specific instance, the officer needed to acquire the full name and contact number of the individual the passenger visited. This information would be essential to corroborate the details provided by the passenger.

Second Step: Build Roadblocks

This step involves setting up a series of questions that firmly establishes the interviewee’s knowledge of the "key information," making it difficult for the individual to claim ignorance. Consider the following sequence for our example:

• Roadblock 1: How long have you known the friend you visited?
• Roadblock 2: How often do you communicate with this person?
• Roadblock 3: What methods of communication do you use with this person (email, phone, text, etc.)?
• Roadblock 4: What topics do you typically discuss during your conversations?
• Roadblock 5: What is his/her occupation?

By responding to these questions, the passenger reveals a five-year friendship, weekly communication via email and phone, diverse conversation topics, and a general familiarity with the friend's life.

Third Step: Pose the Key Question

The final step involves directly asking the key question that will yield the crucial information identified in the first step. In this scenario, the key question is: "What is your friend's full name and contact information?"

By effectively establishing the roadblocks, the passenger is now unable to claim ignorance or deny a strong connection. The five-year friendship and weekly communication make it unlikely to claim a lack of knowledge about basic contact details.

Why the Roadblock Method Works

• Establishes Credibility: Your knowledge and expertise are evident, making it difficult for the interviewee to dismiss your inquiries.
• Disarms Evasive Tactics: By anticipating potential evasive responses, you can redirect the conversation and maintain control.

 Keep on Sharpening Your Interviewing Skills

If you found the Roadblock Method useful and want to take your interviewing skills to the next level, check out the Field Interview Notebook: the first-ever field notebook with proven and effective interview techniques, password, to do list, and notetaking section. Don’t forget Kazador specializes in tactical knives to make you more effective at the borders.  

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