PORT-OF-ENTRY SECURITYSecuring Ports of Entry, One Scan (or Thousands) at a Time
Every year, millions of cargo containers make their way to U.S. ports of entry via maritime, roadways, and railways. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), more than 100,000 commercial cargo trucks cross U.S. POEs daily. To combat the threat of human and drug trafficking, it is imperative that their methods for cargo screening and physical examination are as thorough as they are efficient.
Multi-Energy Portals have shown recent success in increased volume and efficiency of cargo scanning at U.S. ports of entry—including an August 2023 $1.5 million drug seizure in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Every year, millions of cargo containers make their way to U.S. ports of entry (POE) via maritime, roadways, and railways. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), more than 100,000 commercial cargo trucks cross U.S. POEs daily. Tasked with securing and maintaining the integrity of the nation’s borders, CBP is responsible for ensuring that all cargo is fit to cross U.S. borders—that is, free of illegal contraband. To combat the threat of human and drug trafficking, it is imperative that their methods for cargo screening and physical examination are as thorough as they are efficient.
The sheer daily volume of incoming commercial trucks and cargo means that any technology solution deployed by CBP needs to be able to support high-volume scanning (cab and cargo) in a timely fashion and without impeding commercial trade operations. Traditional protocols target “suspicious” trucks after a primary, less comprehensive search for further screening, which either requires cargo be transported offsite to a warehouse for a more intensive examination or have a mobile scanning unit brought in to do the job—a slow and often arduous process that creates a window of vulnerability to would-be traffickers. Those not deemed suspicious wouldn’t undergo the secondary screening necessary to discover concealed contraband. Recognizing the vulnerabilities in this process, CBP enlisted the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to close the gap.
Taking a Scientific Approach to Cargo Screening
CBP began the acquisition process for technology that would improve their commercial truck screening process back in 2018. Bringing in S&T meant that CBP could leverage not only an evidence-based technical approach to addressing current and emerging threats and challenges, but also S&T’s expertise in bringing various partners, both interagency and commercial, to the table to develop innovative solutions. The five-year Multi-Energy Portals (MEP) Test and Evaluation Project was launched with the goal of developing a system that could handle the traffic flow at U.S. POEs, increase scanning volume, and decrease the time it takes for CBP to clear trucks. Having a common viewing platform would also streamline how CBP trains personnel to analyze and adjudicate images.
