see also: in September 2008:   Ramey Border Patrol Sector Sponsors Intelligence Training   CBP Arrests Woman at California Port after Discovering 3 Hidden Females   Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Rescue Lost Alien   Customs and Border Protection Warns Floral Importers About Unripe Poppy Pods   CBP Officers Arrest Man Wanted for Failing to Register as Sex Offender   El Paso CBP Officers Discover 3,000 Pounds of Marijuana in Shipment of Watermelons   CBP Seizes More Than $360,000 in Undeclared Currency ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

New Orleans — Most of the time the arrival of a new area port director signals a more formal welcome from employees, the importing/exporting community and port authority officials, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection chose to speed up the arrival of newly appointed Area Port Director Mitch Merriam only hours before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav last week.

While not exactly how he envisioned his first days on the job, Merriam nevertheless hit the ground running. “Thanks to the cooperation of the Port Authority and the trade community plus the diligence of our employees, our doors were open for business in New Orleans virtually one day after the hurricane passed,” said Port Director Merriam. As area port director, Merriam’s area of responsibility includes passenger, cargo and trade operations in the CBP ports of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Gramercy, Lake Charles and Shreveport, all of which are now fully operational.

Director Field Operations for the New Orleans Field Office, Robert Gomez has been leading the efforts to assure that CBP employees returned to their homes in a safe manner. “Not only does this mean the employees were ready to go to work but some of their home issues were resolved prior to their arrival including roof repair, tree cutting and security patrols for their neighborhoods. Assisting the federal, state and local efforts for the great people of New Orleans and surrounding parishes has been both a privilege and an honor,” said Gomez.

CBP’s dual mission of protecting lives and property and facilitating trade in the ports affected by Hurricane Gustav is critical to the strength not only of the local economy but to that of the nation. “Thanks to the ‘can do’ attitude on the part of many, CBP operations in the affected ports of entry have returned to a 100 percent fully functioning operation,” added Gomez.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.