Mitigating maritime security threats
The United States is composed of more than 100000 miles of the border, indicating the essence of limiting the illegal entry of persons and contraband goods. To mitigate the nation from maritime security threats, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 implements a framework describing safety regulations in ports and employee selection. The SAFE Port Act addresses the fact that 93% of the deferral border is sea navigable, and terrorist cells could exploit the lack of preparedness and smuggle contraband items. Laws and strategies are essential such as the Small Vessel Security Strategy in conducting searches of marine bound vehicles (Weiss, & Davis, 2005). In the process of enhancing maritime port operations, the great lakes region ought to increase coordination in the identification and to prevent marine security threats.
The great lakes navigable waters is a source of illegal narcotics smuggling and logistics a classified coast guard intelligence attack of possible 26 suspected Islamic terrorists
The SAFE Port Act
Security measures in maritime activities include training of employees on sources and nature of security threats as stipulated by the Small Vessel Security Strategy. The secretary of Defence has a legal and binding mandate to affect the hiring and selection of armed officers to protect national and borders. Laws and regulations in The SAFE Port Act stipulate agencies that ought to process identified threats and proper measures to disclose to the public.
The code of federal regulations that became effective July 1, 2003, regulates the quality of marine vessels, including structural integrity and nature and scope of cargo on board. Through the MTSA, the federal regulations identify Facility Security Officer in charge of conducting vulnerability assessments on marine vessels.
Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) explains sourcing of funds for border patrol in limiting unauthorized immigration, such as the hiding of terrorist son cargo containers in South America. Through the Small Vessel Security Strategy, MTSA supervises more than 10000 vessels at 5000 facilities nationwide (Weiss, & Davis, 2005). MTSA enhances port and maritime operations by regulating the utilization of facilities such as shell oil refinery in Port Arthur. As such, the framework is suitable for controlling marine pollution from gas and petroleum exploration firms.
The SAFE Port Act enhances maritime operations by offering law enforcement agencies and border patrol the authority to conduct searches. Due to threats from the waterborne improvised explosive device (WBIED), it is pragmatic to secure physical assets from maritime-based threats. As such, the act enhances coordination among international agencies and countries protecting marine assets, human and narcotics trafficking. The act provides federal and state institutions autonomy to select budgets in the purchase of leverage technology for maritime Defence (Nolan, 2013). The act stipulates hiring and selection of Facility Security Officer, thereby providing a framework for detecting and communicating threats.
Additionally, officers and workers in over 5000 port facilities receive training on methods of preventing small vessels as a source of maritime security threat; an
The Small Vessel Security Strategy seeks to secure assets from sabotage through marine transport. For instance, the security strategy anticipates the use of small and naval lighter vessels to traffic contraband items. Illicit and contraband materials include smuggling terrorists or weapons. An international concern exit son the potential of small ships transporting weapons of mass destruction (WMD) (Weiss, & Davis, 2005). Additionally, the security strategy prevents the exploitation of marine resources as platforms of a stand-off between law enforcement and terrorist cells.