Napolitano Tours Barcelona Port

Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, watched U.S. and Spanish customs officials screen U.S.-bound containers as she toured the port of Barcelona on April 10.

The visit was to check on a container security initiative by DHS’ Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. Under it, CPB officials work with counterparts in non-U.S. ports that ship into the United States to develop procedures to identify and screen high-risk containers.

"CSI plays a critical role in DHS' ongoing efforts to protect against terrorists who seek to bring harmful devices and materials into the United States through the global supply chain," Napolitano said.

At Barcelona, she watched CBP and Spanish customs agents use automated targeting tools that include non-intrusive inspection systems – those not requiring the box to be opened -- and radiation detection technology. Barcelona is the third most active port in the Spanish Mediterranean, DHS said, and CBP officials have worked with counterparts there since 2006.

In all, teams under the container screening program operate at 58 ports in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. DHS said they cover about 80 percent of all ocean-borne containerized imports into the United States.

(Source: JOC)