Cargo Container Targeting

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued the report of its review of the Cargo Enforcement Reporting and Tracking System (CERTS) administered by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  CERTS is intended to gather data on cargo examination findings and report on how efficiently examination equipment is being used.  Analysis of this information can be used to improve CBP’s ability to identify high-risk cargo containers entering the United States and examination methodologies.  The review found that CBP has not updated its CERTS project plan.  In addition, CBP bypassed key Customs Standard Life Cycle reviews designed to ensure end-users have a properly working system and have received management’s approval to continue the project.  As a result, CERTS project development was delayed and not fully available to end-users as CBP originally planned.  OIG-08-65 (HK Law).