Title page

Contents

Highlights 2

Letter 5

Background 10

Coast Guard and CBP Roles and Responsibilities 10

Vessel and Maritime Cargo Information Required to be Submitted to DHS Prior to Arrival 13

Leading Collaboration Practices 16

DHS Secures Vessels and Cargo from Risks at Multiple Points in the Maritime Supply Chain 17

Coast Guard and CBP Programs Assess Risks of Terrorism Before Vessels and Cargo Depart Foreign Seaports 17

Coast Guard and CBP Intelligence Programs Screen and Target Vessels and Cargo En Route to U.S. Seaports 27

Coast Guard and CBP Inspect Vessels and Maritime Cargo for Security Risks Upon Arrival at U.S. Seaports 29

DHS Generally Followed Selected Leading Collaboration Practices at U.S. Seaports 35

DHS Has Not Fully Assessed the Effectiveness of Its Approach for Securing Vessels and Maritime Cargo 41

Conclusions 47

Recommendations for Executive Action 48

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 48

Appendix I: Locations of Officials Interviewed and Methods 50

Appendix II: Comments from the Department of Homeland Security 52

Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgements 55

Table 1. Selected Leading Collaboration Practices and Examples of Key Considerations Identified in Prior GAO Work 16

Table 2. Completion Status of Maritime Activities Associated with Sector Goal Four of the 2015 Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan, as Reported... 43

Table 3. Location of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Coast Guard Officials Interviewed 50

Figure 1. Commercial Vessel Carrying Containerized Cargo 11

Figure 2. Example of a Vessel Stow Plan 15

Figure 3. U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Programs to Secure U.S.-Bound Vessels and Cargo in the Maritime Supply Chain 18

Figure 4. U.S. Coast Guard International Port Security Program Country Visits in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 21

Figure 5. U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Container Security Initiative Ports as of September 2024 24

Figure 6. Key Steps in U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Process for Screening and Targeting High-Risk Cargo Throughout the Maritime Supply Chain 29

Figure 7. Countries with Ports Not Maintaining Effective Antiterrorism Measures as Identified by the U.S. Coast Guard, as of October 2024 32

Figure 8. A Shipping Container Passing Through U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Non-Intrusive Inspection Screening Equipment at the Long Beach... 34

Figure 9. Sector Goal Four's Associated Activities and Measurements of Effectiveness Compared with Selected Key Attributes of Effective Goals and Measures 45