Secure Seas, Open Ports 

Keeping our waters safe, secure and 

open for business 

June 21, 2004 
Secure Seas, Open Ports 

Keeping our waters safe, secure 

and open for business 

Introduction 

Today Homeland Security Secretary Ridge announced the implementation of new security 

measures across the country designed to build upon the layers of security that are already 

in place at the nation’s ports. The new measures, required by the Maritime Transportation 

Security Act, add additional security protections to every port in the United States. Port 

and vessel protection continues to remain one of the Department of Homeland Security’s 

highest priorities. The oceans and ports of the world are vital to the economic livelihood of 

the United States and countries throughout the world. 

Consider: 

• Over 95 percent of the nation’s overseas cargo moves through our ports. 

• There are 76 million recreational boaters in the United States and they spent over $30.3 

billion on boats and accessories in 2003. 

• Worldwide, 5.8 billion tons of goods were traded by sea in 2001. This accounts for 

over 80 percent of world trade by volume. 

• Over 318 billion gallons of petroleum products are shipped in vessels on U.S. 

waterways in a year. 

• Cruise Ships calling at U.S. ports carry over 6 million passengers per year. 

New Security Measures 

In addition to the international requirements of the International Ship and Port 

Security Code, the United States has required vessels and port facilities around the country 

to take additional security measures by July 1, as part of the domestic Maritime 

Transportation Security Act which establishes a new, robust baseline of security for our 

nation’s ports. Ports around the country are now on target to meet the July 1 deadline to 

implement additional port security measures. 

Security Assessments and Plans: Port facilities and vessels across the nation were 

required to submit a security assessment and a security plan to the United States Coast 

Guard, now part of the Department of Homeland Security. The submitted security 

assessments identified the aspects of each port facility and vessel that were deemed 

security vulnerabilities. The accompanying security plan outlined specific measures that 

would be taken by each port to address those vulnerabilities. Some 9500 vessels and 3500 

facilities submitted both a security assessment and a security plan earlier this year. In 

addition, the Coast Guard, examined the vulnerabilities of the port complexes as a whole 

and, working in conjunction with the local stakeholders, developed security plans that 

detail how the combined resources of an area will be used to deter, prevent and respond to 
terror threats. The Coast Guard analyzed each plan to ensure that it sufficiently and 

consistently addressed the security needs of the individual facility, port and vessel. 

Implementation: The Coast Guard is overseeing the ongoing implementation of these 

security measures across the country. Each plan is different and uniquely tailored to the 

individual port, facility and vessel. Some of the specific security measures currently being 

implemented include increased identification checks on crew members and visitors to the 

ports; additional canine detection teams; expanded baggage and passenger screening 

efforts; strategically placed perimeter fencing equipped with newly installed surveillance 

cameras; targeted restricted access to sensitive areas of the port; x-ray machines on all 

large cruise ships; additional employee training procedures; increased security patrols; and 

implementation of a robust certification program to ensure foreign flagged vessels docking 

in U.S. ports have met the international security requirements, which the United States 

originally proposed to the international community in November 2001. 

Continued Improvement: The U.S Coast Guard will conduct assessments of the nation’s 

ports to determine which vulnerabilities still exists and where. These assessments consist 

of teams of analysts who craft possible terrorist plots against specific targets and then 

analyze how such targets would fare under those circumstances. Additional training and 

port security related exercises will also be part of ongoing port security effort. The U.S. 

Coast Guard has also implemented a verification program to ensure that all ports and 

vessels maintain their security measures. 

An Overview of Our Strategy 

Layers of Security Systems. By taking a layered approach to security, the DHS has 

utilized the expertise of its bureaus – the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border 

Protection – the private sector and state and local authorities, to create a system of different 

security measures that ensure there are protective measures in place from one end of a sea 

based journey to the other. The layered security measures are designed to protect the three 

phases of the journey: overseas, in transit, and on U.S. shores. 

Joint Effort. Securing our ports and waterways is a team effort – everyone, from local 

governments and private citizens to the international community play an important role in 

ensuring that our waterways remain open for business. The U.S. government does not 

have the resources to secure the ports and waterways alone. DHS must coordinate its 

efforts with the nation’s trading partners, enlist the expertise of maritime industry and local 

government agencies, and use the eyes and ears of our citizens, who are the true regional 

experts, to notice when something is amiss. The goal is to find the appropriate balance 

between security and freedom – between inspecting every container and keeping trade 

moving – that is the measure of success. 
Overseas 

24-hr Advance Manifest Container Security Initiative 

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism ISPS Code 

International Port Security Program Operation Safe Commerce

In Transit 

Smart Box Initiative Ship Security Alert System 

Automated Targeting System 96-Hour Advance Notice of Arrival 

On U.S. Shores 

National Targeting Center 

Security Boardings

Automatic Identification System

Security Committees 

Port Security Grants 

Rad., Chem., Bio. Screening 

Operation Drydock 

America’s Waterway Watch 

Intelligence Fusion Centers 

Operation Port Shield

MTSA 

Port Security Assessment Program

NII Technology 

Maritime Safety and Security Teams 

Transportation Workers Identity Card
Implementing the Strategy 

Overseas 

24-Hour Advanced Manifest Rule – Awareness 

All sea carriers with the exception of bulk carriers and approved break bulk cargo are required 

to provide proper cargo descriptions and valid consignee addresses 24 hours before cargo is 

loaded at the foreign port for shipment to the United States through the Sea Automated 

Manifest System. Failure to meet the 24-hour Advanced Manifest Rule results in a “do not 

load” message and other penalties. Through this program, administered by DHS’s Customs 

and Border Protection (CBP), the department has greater awareness of what is being loaded 

onto ships bound for the United States and the advance information enables DHS to evaluate 

the terrorist risk from sea containers.

Container Security Initiative (CSI) – Awareness & Prevention 

Under the CSI program, the screening of containers that pose a risk for terrorism is 

accomplished by teams of CBP officials deployed to work in concert with their host nation 

counterparts. Nineteen of the top twenty ports have agreed to join CSI and are at various 

stages of implementation. These twenty ports account for approximately 66 percent of sea 

containers shipped to the United States. CSI operational seaports include: Rotterdam, 

LeHavre, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Singapore, Yokohama, Tokyo, Hong Kong, 

Göteborg, Felixstowe, Genoa, La Spezia, Busan, Durban, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax and 

Port Klang. Through CSI, potential suspect containers are targeted and identified before being 

loaded onto vessels. 

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) – Awareness & Prevention 

Through C-TPAT, thousands of importers, carriers, brokers, forwarders, ports and terminals 

and foreign manufacturers have taken the necessary steps to secure their supply chains. 

Under the C-TPAT initiative, business participants providing verifiable security information 

are eligible for special benefits. The security enhancements put in place by C-TPAT 

participant allow DHS to devote more resources to high-risk shipments. 

International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code – Awareness & Prevention 

By July 1, 2004, countries around the world will have implemented the first multilateral ship 

and port security standard ever created. The ISPS Code requires vessels and port facilities to 

conduct security assessments, develop security plans and hire security officers. By 

establishing a standard for security, the world has increased its ability to prevent maritime

related attacks by making ports around the world more aware of unusual or suspicious 

activity. 

International Port Security Program – Awareness & Prevention 

Under this effort, the U.S. Coast Guard and the host nations will work jointly to evaluate the 

countries’ overall compliance with the ISPS Code. The Coast Guard will use the information 

gained from these visits to improve the United State’s own security practices and to determine 

if additional security precautions will be required for vessels arriving in the United States 

from other countries. 
Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) – Awareness & Prevention 

This pilot program analyzes security in the commercial supply chain and tests solutions to 

close security gaps. The technologies tested through the program will enhance maritime

cargo security, protect the global supply chain, and facilitate the flow of commerce. DHS has 

awarded $58 million in grants to the private sector since its inception and will award another 

$17 million this summer to private sector companies. 

In Transit 

Smart Box Initiative – Prevention 

One core element of CSI is using smarter, “tamper evident” containers that will better secure 

containerized shipping. Designed to be “tamper evident,” the Smart Box couples an 

internationally approved mechanical seal affixed to an alternate location on the container door 

with an electronic container security device designed to deter and detect tampering of the 

container door. If someone attempts to open the cargo door after it has been sealed, the Smart 

Box device on the door would reflect that there had been an attempted intrusion into the 

container. Together with the results of technology testing, Operation Safe Commerce, DHS 

will have valuable information to assist in developing performance standards for container 

security. 

Ship Security Alert System – Response 

Like a silent alarm in a bank, a SSAS allows a vessel operator to send a covert alert to shore 

for incidents involving acts of violence, (such as piracy or terrorism), indicating the security 

of the ship is under threat or has been compromised. The International Ship and Port Facility 

Security Code requires new passenger and cargo ships of at least 500 gross tons to install this 

equipment by July 1, 2004. Existing passenger vessels and cargo vessels must have the 

equipment installed prior to the first radio survey after July 1, 2004, or by July 1, 2006. Other 

types of vessels may carry and use SSAS voluntarily. 

Automated Targeting System (ATS) – Awareness 

CBP’s ATS serves as the premier tool for performing transactional risk assessments and 

evaluating potential national security risks posed by cargo and passengers arriving by sea, air, 

truck, and rail. Using pre-arrival information and input from the intelligence community, this 

rules-based system identifies high-risk targets before they arrive in the United States. 

96-Hour Advance Notice of Arrival – Awareness & Prevention 

Ships must notify the Coast Guard 96 hours before arriving in a U.S. port and provide detailed 

information on the crew, passenger, cargo and voyage history. This information is analyzed 

using databases and intelligence information, including reviewing previous security problems 

with the vessel or illegal activity on the part of the crew. Part of this analysis will also 

account for the security environment in previous ports of call. By obtaining this information 

well in-advance of a vessels arrival, the U.S. Coast Guard is able to make determinations 

about which vessels require additional attention, including security precautions such as an atsea boarding or armed escort during transit to and from port. 
In U.S. Waters & On U.S. Shores 

National Targeting Center (NTC) – Prevention & Response 

The priority mission of CBP's NTC is to provide tactical targeting and analytical research 

support for CBP anti-terrorism efforts. Experts in passenger and cargo targeting at the NTC 

operate around the clock using tools like the Automated Targeting System (ATS) to identify

tactical targets and support intra-departmental and inter-agency anti-terrorist operations. The 

NTC also supports operations in the field including the Container Security Initiative (CSI) 

personnel stationed at critical foreign ports throughout the world. 

Maritime Intelligence Fusion Centers - Prevention 

Located in Norfolk, Va., and Alameda, Ca., these units compile and synthesize intelligence 

products from the federal, state and local level dealing with maritime security. These 

intelligence products are then disseminated to homeland security professionals across the 

country responsible for securing our ports and waterways. 

High Interest Vessels Boardings – Prevention 

Before they are allowed to enter port, all vessels are screened for the security risk they pose to 

the United States based on information about the vessel’s cargo, size, voyage, security history 

and any intelligence information. Those identified as higher risk are targeted for offshore 

boardings to ensure potential security issues are addressed prior to entry into port. In 

addition, the Coast Guard randomly selects vessels for security boardings to ensure an 

element of unpredictability and thus deterrence. Specially trained Coast Guard teams board 

the boats through traditional water based methods or via fast roping from helicopters.

Operation Port Shield – Prevention 

Operation Port Shield focuses on the implementation and enforcement of the new security 

measures implemented under the international requirements or MTSA between June 15 and 

December 31, 2004. Under this verification program, the Coast Guard will be boarding every 

vessel, at sea or at the dock, on its first visit to a U.S. port on or after July 1 to ensure that the 

vessel is complaint with U.S. security standards. These program officers will also visit 

foreign countries to evaluate antiterrorism measures in place at ports abroad. 

Automatic Identification System – Awareness 

AIS is a type of vessel-tracking equipment that automatically sends detailed ship information 

to other ships and shore-based agencies, allowing for comprehensive, virtually instantaneous 

vessel tracking and monitoring, increasing security and safety in our shipping channels. 

Currently, most vessels required to use this technology are large vessels on international 

voyages. The Coast Guard is exploring possible ways to expand these requirements to other 

vessels and other U.S. waters. 

Area Maritime Security Committees – Awareness, Prevention & Response 

The Coast Guard has established committees in all the nation’s ports to coordinate the 

activities of all port stakeholders, including other federal, local and state agencies, industry 
and the boating public. These groups are tasked with collaborating on plans to secure their 

ports so the resources of an area can be best used to deter, prevent and respond to terror 

threats. 

Port Security Assessment Program – Awareness 

This program is aimed at increasing the information and best practices available to port 

officials across the country to help them make decisions about how to reduce the vulnerability 

of their ports. The Coast Guard is in the process of closely examining the key infrastructure 

in the nation’s 55 most economically and strategically important ports for potential 

vulnerabilities. Those assessments will be completed by the end of the year. In addition to 

these assessments, the Coast Guard is creating a system to display key port information in an 

electronic geospatially referenced format to serve as a database that can be easily searched for 

national, regional and local information.

Port Security Grants – Awareness, Prevention & Response 

The Port Security Grant Program provides federal resources for projects to enhance facility 

and operational security for critical national seaports. Funds assist ports in analyzing 

vulnerabilities and then closing gaps in security through physical enhancements like access 

control gates, fencing, lighting and advanced communication and surveillance systems. The 

program also funds the implementation of security strategies to prevent and respond to terror 

threats. Over the past three years, $516 million in grants have been allocated and another $50 

million are currently pending review. 

Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NII) – Prevention

Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technologies allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to 

screen a larger portion of the stream of commercial traffic in less time while facilitating 

legitimate trade. CBP officers use large-scale gamma ray and x-ray imaging systems to safely 

and efficiently screen conveyances for contraband, including weapons of mass destruction. 

These units can scan the interior of a full-size 40-foot container in under a minute. Inspectors 

also use personal radiation detectors to scan for signs of radioactive materials, as well as 

special high-tech tools such as density meters and fiber-optic scopes to peer inside suspicious 

containers. Finally, if necessary, containers are opened and unloaded for a more intensive 

manual inspection. 

Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSSTs) – Prevention & Response 

MSSTs are a Coast Guard rapid response force assigned to vital ports and capable of 

nationwide deployment via air, ground or sea transportation to meet emerging threats. 

MSSTs were created in direct response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. They have 

unique capabilities, including explosive-detection dogs, personnel trained to conduct fastroping deployments from a helicopter to a hostile vessel, and anti-terrorism/force protection 

small boat handling training. Eight teams are currently in operation and five more are 

scheduled to be commissioned by early 2005.

Guarding In-Between the Ports – Prevention 

Coast Guard, CBP Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Air and 

Marine Operations units are responsible for patrolling and securing our nation’s borders 
between the ports of entry. During FY04 to date, DHS personnel have apprehended more 

than 770,000 illegal aliens on land and over 9,000 at sea. By adding additional personnel, 

equipment and technology, the Department of Homeland Security has been able to broaden 

the areas of coverage. Through strong enforcement operations and the state of the art 

technology at the borders, the department has enhanced its operational effectiveness on the 

frontline.

Operation Drydock – Awareness & Prevention

This Coast Guard and FBI investigation into national security threats and document fraud 

associated with U.S. merchant mariner credentials revealed nine individuals linked to terrorist 

groups that were holding maritime credentials. Merchant mariner credentials are often used 

as an identification document that allows mariners to come and go from the ship while it is 

docked in a foreign port. This investigation, enhancements to the criminal background check 

process for applicants, and increased security features on the cards themselves, has increased 

the U.S. Government’s ability to monitor crews of the U.S. merchant fleet.

Transportation Workers Identity Card (TWIC) – Awareness & Prevention 

The goal of the TWIC program is to develop a secure uniform credential to prevent potential 

terrorist threats from entering sensitive areas of our transportation system. When 

implemented, the TWIC program will ensure that credentials contain a biometric identifier to 

positively authenticate identities of TWIC holders. By having one universally recognized 

credential, workers avoid paying for redundant cards and background investigations to enter 

secure areas at multiple facilities. The Prototype Phase will be conducted at 35 facilities in 

six states including the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California and the fourteen 

major port facilities in the state of Florida. The prototype is funded with $50 million included 

in Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) budget and up to 

200,000 port workers are expected to participate. 

America’s Waterways Watch – Awareness 

The goal of America’s Waterway Watch is to help prevent acts of terrorism and other illegal 

activity that jeopardizes maritime homeland security by having members of the maritime and 

recreational boating industries, as well as the boating public, recognize and report to 

appropriate authorities suspicious activity that may be an indicator of potential terrorism. 

Any observations of suspicious or unusual activity could be extremely valuable to our 

national security and may provide clues to help uncover patterns of possible terrorist activity. 

Reports can be made to the Coast Guard, local law enforcement, or by calling 1-877-24-

WATCH.