see also: in November 2007 News Releases:   CBP Officers Seize 50 Pounds of Cocaine, Three Pounds of Heroin, Guns & Ammo, Arrest 22 For Illegal Entry and Arrest 20 Fugitives During Two-Week Holiday Span at Laredo Port of Entry   Border Patrol Agents Arrest Convicted Sex Offender   Border Patrol Seizes One Ton of Marijuana at Sierra Blanca Checkpoint   Border Patrol Yields $3.7 Million in a Day’s Seizures   Border Patrol and Coast Guard Sign Cooperation Agreement   CBP Seized Cocaine Concealed in Suitcase   Border Patrol Agents Seize 5,450 Pounds of Marijuana Near Freer ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Washington — U.S. Customs and Border Protection finished installation of Automated Commercial Environment electronic truck processing capabilities Nov. 7 at the Piegan, Mont., port of entry. Now all 99 land border ports are capable of processing e-manifests.

The ACE e-manifest capability consolidates previously separate cargo release systems into a single, integrated computer interface for CBP officers and allows truck carriers to prepare and submit electronic truck manifests prior to arrival at a land border port of entry. With advance access to truck cargo information, CBP officers are able to pre-screen trucks and shipments, dedicating more time to inspecting suspicious cargo without delaying the border crossings of legitimate carriers.

E-manifests are also more efficient with an average processing time 33 seconds faster than a traditional paper manifest.

"Equipping every United States land border port of entry with the capability to process e-manifests is a significant milestone that advances the CBP mission of ensuring border security while simultaneously facilitating legitimate trade," said Louis Samenfink, executive director for the CBP cargo systems program office.

On average, CBP officers process more than 30,000 trucks per day using ACE. Ninety-nine percent of manifests are now filed electronically at all ports. Currently, filing is mandatory at all land border ports in Arizona, California, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Washington. CBP eventually will mandate the e-manifest policy to include every land border port.

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 the 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.