CBP Adds Australian Customs Officer as Part of U.S.-Australian Customs Collaboration

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare said July 17 an Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officer was seconded to the U.S. CBP. The Australian CBP officer will be seconded to the U.S. CBP Office of Intelligence and Investigations Liaison and the International Targeting Center. The officer’s role will focus on the joint targeting and analysis of criminal syndicates and the establishment of a Collaborative Targeting Framework between the U.S. and Australia. “The Australian and United States Customs and Border Protection agencies work very closely together," said Clare. "This is the next step. Embedding our experts inside United States Customs and Border Protection will improve our ability to target the activities of potential terrorists, drug smugglers and other organised criminals who try to target Australia." The countries previously outlined the plans for the U.S. and Australia to increase their capacity to identify high risk actors and activities at the earliest point possible.