Coast Guard Sector New York personnel conducted three warehouse spot checks at the Port of New York and New Jersey this week, uncovering a 60% deficiency rate in hazardous material compliance.
The targeted inspections, driven by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) container screening data, are part of an expanded effort to detect undeclared hazardous cargo before it can pose a threat to port safety or vessel crews.
The recent inspections highlight the Coast Guard’s growing collaboration with CBP, which has improved over the past year. When CBP identifies anomalies or items of interest during targeted container inspections, they now routinely notify Coast Guard Sector New York personnel, who follow up with specialized checks focused on undeclared hazardous materials.
The increase in joint enforcement activity follows the success of Operation Terminus, a five-day multi-agency operation conducted in late February. That effort targeted illicit outbound shipments at terminals in Port Newark, New Jersey, and Brooklyn and led to the seizure of eight undeclared hazardous material containers with $88,000 in shipper violations. Authorities also intercepted 33 stolen vehicles valued at more than $2.4 million that were destined for Western African countries.
By intercepting these shipments, officials prevented potential fires and explosions from improperly handled hazardous materials, including automobiles with connected batteries and full gasoline tanks.
The results of Operation Terminus emphasized the critical need for persistent oversight of cargo shipments and the dangers posed by improperly documented hazardous materials. These risks threaten not only port workers and maritime crews, but also international trade and national security.
Operation Terminus launched in February 2023 as a recurring joint enforcement initiative. It brings together personnel and resources from the Coast Guard, CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and local law enforcement agencies to combat illicit vehicle exports and hazardous cargo violations.