ICE expands security teams at sea ports

ICE expands security teams at sea ports    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year plans to establish more Border Enforcement Security Task Forces at seaports, Director John Morton said at a training conference in San Diego Tuesday, according to a copy of his speech.
   Most of the 17 multiagency teams are located near the northern and southern borders.
   The BEST program was created five years ago to combat the growing threat of crime and violence associated with transnational drug smuggling. The task forces combine the expertise and information of federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal organizations.
   Two port complexes, Los Angeles-Long Beach and New York-New Jersey, have task forces to address smuggling and other criminal activity in the maritime environment.
   Morton said ICE would soon add BEST teams to ports in Seattle, New Orleans, and Wilmington, N.C. The Seattle office will also cover Tacoma, while New Orleans would have Gulf Coast responsibility for the port of Mobile, Ala.; and Gulfport, Miss. Wilmington's coverage area will include Savannah, Ga.; and Charleston, S.C.
   Further out, ICE plans to expand BEST to Norfolk, Va., and San Francisco.
   ICE has initiated more than 6,400 cases leading to arrests, immigrations detentions and seizures of drugs, weapons, ammunition, vehicles and $42.5 million in currency since its inception. ' Eric Kulisch