In The News

Napolitano questioned on cross-border trucking in House hearing

By Charlie Morasch, staff writer

In 2006, Congress approved the Safe Port Act – requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to draft guidelines for federal, state and local law enforcement related to cross-border trucking and that department’s jurisdiction “no later than April 2008.”

Nearly four years later, the cross-border guidelines have yet to be presented.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-NY, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, asked DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano Wednesday to answer several questions about Mexican trucking, including whether the secretary can provide a timeline for when she expects the department to issue the guidelines.

“How has the pilot program impacted the volume of trucks at the border, and how has CBP handled this increased volume?” King asked. “And to the extent you can disclose it in an open setting, are the Mexico-based carriers involved in this pilot subject to a significant level of additional scrutiny compared to American-based trucks in terms of risk-based targeting? Does the presence of Mexican trucks and personnel with access throughout the United States result in any additional vulnerability, and if so – how do you collaborate ensuring that the relevant DHS components have access to this GPS information?”

King said some questions were asked on behalf of committee member Lamar Smith, R-TX, who was presiding over a different committee meeting during the end of Wednesday’s nearly three-hour House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Napolitano said she will respond to the questions with written responses.

“Some of that does require us going into some classified information, Mr. Chairman,” Napolitano said. “I’ll be happy to send you something in writing if you wish, and we’ll answer those questions for you.”

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