Jamaica Joins Container Security Initiative

The United States signed a Declaration of Principles (DOPs) with the Government of Jamaica to help thwart smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material. The DOP was co-signed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The document covers implementation of CBP's Container Security Initiative and NNSA's Megaports Initiative, as both programs continue working together to stop nuclear material from being smuggled to U.S. ports. Two other joint DOE-CBP declarations of principles have been signed with the Sultanate of Oman and the government of Honduras. The DOPs are aimed at detecting and deterring illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials by smugglers and terrorists. Similar partnerships exist with the Netherlands, Greece and other nations. Representatives from Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and the Caribbean are in active discussions with the United States to install radiation detection systems at key port facilities worldwide to further international nonproliferation efforts and provide useful evidence to support prosecution efforts.

Under the Container Security Initiative (CSI), CBP stations multidisciplinary teams of U.S. officers from CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to work with their host government counterparts to establish security criteria to identify high-risk containers. Their mission is to target and pre-screen containers destined for the United States.