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Friday, February 14, 2025

GAO: DHS Lacks Key Metrics on Effectiveness of Maritime Cargo Security

The U.S. economy relies heavily on the smooth flow of goods through the global supply chain, most of which are transported by ship. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are the two main Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies responsible for screening these vessels and shipments for potential security threats. However, a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that DHS needs to improve its efforts to track the effectiveness of its approach in securing U.S.-bound vessels and cargo from supply chain risks. 

According to the GAO report, these agencies use a layered maritime security approach to identify high-risk vessels and cargo. This includes screening, targeting, and examining vessels and cargo before they leave foreign ports, while they are in transit (at sea), and when they arrive at U.S. ports. 

The GAO also found that USCG and CBP officials at 16 selected field units generally followed five leading practices for interagency collaboration. For example, USCG leverage staff of other federal agencies, such as CBP, to help with vessel boardings. Yet, the GAO report also found that DHS has not fully assessed the effectiveness of its security approach. While USCG has worked with other stakeholders to develop a strategic goal for maritime security, the agency has not developed specific metrics to measure progress towards this goal. 

The GAO made two recommendations to DHS, with which DHS concurred: 

  • Develop objective, measurable, and quantifiable performance goals and performance measures. 
  • Use the collected performance information to assess progress toward strategic and performance goals, and the overall effectiveness of the layered approach to maritime security on an ongoing basis. 

This report highlights the importance of having strong measures in place to track the effectiveness of maritime security programs. By developing better metrics, DHS can ensure that its resources are being used effectively to protect the U.S. from national security-related threats.  

Click here to read the complete GAO report 

Megan Norris
Megan Norris
Megan Norris has a unique combination of experience in writing and editing as well as law enforcement and homeland security that led to her joining Homeland Security Today staff in January 2025. She founded her company, Norris Editorial and Writing Services, following her 2018 retirement from the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), based on her career experience prior to joining the FAMS. Megan worked as a Communications Manager – handling public relations, media training, crisis communications and speechwriting, website copywriting, and more – for a variety of organizations, such as the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, Brookdale Living, and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Upon becoming a Federal Air Marshal in 2006, Megan spent the next 12 years providing covert law enforcement for domestic and international missions. While a Federal Air Marshal, she also was selected for assignments such as Public Affairs Officer and within the Taskings Division based on her background in media relations, writing, and editing. She also became a certified firearms instructor, physical fitness instructor, legal and investigative instructor, and Glock and Sig Sauer armorer as a Federal Air Marshal Training Instructor. After retiring from FAMS, Megan obtained a credential as a Certified Professional Résumé Writer to assist federal law enforcement and civilian employees with their job application documents. In addition to authoring articles, drafting web copy, and copyediting and proofreading client submissions, Megan works with a lot of clients on résumés, cover letters, executive bios, SES packages, and interview preparation. As such, she presented “Creating Effective Job Application Documents for Female Law Enforcement and Civilian Career Advancement” at the 2024 Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, and has been asked to return for the 2025 Annual Leadership Conference in Dallas. Megan holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in English/Journalism with a minor in Political Analysis from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

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