Homing in on targets
Determining what constitutes a target is a process that is part art and part science. Center personnel use both external and internal sources of information such as the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS), the Automated Commercial System (ACS), the Automated Targeting System (ATS), and the Automated Entry System (AES) that provide a wealth of information. The center also works closely with the newly formed CBP Office of Intelligence, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to share information and to formulate their advisories.

The phrase "data mining" is a term of art for the process that the NTC staff employs in developing targets. It is, in fact, a little like panning for gold. Initially, analysts conduct broad-based research to collect and sift through information to establish a base line of data. However, collecting data is only the first step; an analyst must also know how to use it. The center looks at any resource that could be used to support a terrorist effort, ranging from people to weapons components. The goal of the center is to deter or disrupt any terrorist efforts by stopping the movement of individuals and the flow of materials or money needed for such an operation. When the data points to a particular product, distribution channel, conveyance, or importer, the review goes from broad to narrow. However, an analyst may pursue several different analytical tracks to home in on a target.

Photo Credit: James Tourtellotte

NTC staff at work in futuristic setting.

One track may be to conduct a trend analysis on a specific commodity. This can be a complicated process particularly if the commodity has dual use - if it is used in the production of a legitimate product but can also be associated with the production of a harmful agent. A different approach may be to evaluate importer relationships by the types of goods routinely imported, and the ports of entry normally used. Typically an analyst would focus on sudden changes in the type of commodity an importer has historically imported, or evaluate the relationship between an importer and a supplier searching for anomalies that warrant further analysis.

Another approach is to ferret out financial information, that can serve as leads for agents to "follow the money," looking for assets that might be used to support terrorist activities. Evidence of the transfer of checks, cash, or some combination of illegal or suspicious movement of fiscally liquid items either in or out of the United States may also trigger referral for deeper probing by ICE agents.

Getting to the bottom line
NTC staffers formulate conclusions by applying a risk-management approach, i.e., where data are compared to a set of rules that describe how things should work, and then identifying deviations. Next, analysts review any deviations again to determine if they are significant. Target analysts may also utilize a more free form of risk analysis, looking at differences in patterns of data. This kind of investigation may reveal anomalies caused by events that might not have been identified by standard data analysis techniques.

In the end, however, the success of analysis depends on a number of factors: the most important being the skill and experience the analyst brings to the job. Personnel in this line of work must be adept at using empirical intelligence techniques such as correlating data and recognizing possible trends. They must also be unbiased and sensitive to subtleties, so that they can evaluate data accurately. Intangible qualities such as intuition and creativity must also be a part of the successful targeter's arsenal.

Putting theory into practice
With the implementation of the 24-Hour Advance Vessel Manifest Rule on December 2, 2002, every carrier bringing cargo to the United States must provide advance information on every shipment aboard their vessels before leaving a foreign port. NTC staff work around the clock to analyze manifest information, correlate it with other data, and rate each shipment from zero (no risk) to 300 (highest risk). In cooperation with foreign governments, any suspicious shipments are examined before they are loaded on to vessels in overseas ports. NTC personnel also scrutinize airline passenger lists for potential terrorists.

Once a target has been identified, the NTC contacts and provides information to the port. The port is notified of the pending arrival of a person, shipment, or conveyance and advised of the information the NTC has developed and why this information tags an individual or shipment as a target. However, the decision to take action - examine, interview, or detain, is a local one. The center receives feedback on the outcome of any examination and incorporates it as a future intelligence data nugget.

Photo Credit: James Tourtellotte

Inside view of the National Targeting Center.

NTC in action
Last spring, an NTC staffer spotted the name of Jose Padilla on a manifest of flights from Cairo to Chicago via Zurich. Padilla was allegedly working with al Qaeda to explore the feasibility of setting off a "dirty bomb," a conventional bomb salted with radioactive material, in an American city. Padilla is now in U.S. military custody as an enemy combatant.

Today, securing our borders against terrorists and maintaining the integrity of the trade moving into the U.S. has the utmost urgency. The NTC is one of the latest, most innovative tools in the fight to keep our country safe. Not only does the work of this dedicated group assist us in controlling our borders, but their very existence serves as a deterrent to would-be terrorists.

National Targeting Center When it became operational on November 10, 2001, the Center was housed in a corner office on the 8th floor of the Ronald Reagan Building. Today, the center has grown into one of the preeminent offices in the fight against terrorism. In January 2003, the NTC moved to a spacious 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art high tech facility in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Here, the staff queries electronic databases around the clock in a situation room environment that could be a set piece for Star Wars. The 26-member office, established in response to the events of September 11, analyzes data from numerous sources using traditional intelligence techniques. Twenty-one inspectors and field analysis specialists supervised by five watch commanders, probe information sources to identify targets for field personnel. Hugh Austin, who started his career as a Customs inspector in Nogales before coming to Headquarters as a program officer, is the chief watch commander of the center, which reports to the director of Border Targeting and Analysis. Each member of the staff at the center has acquired expertise in a specialty tied to training and field experience in seaport, airport, and land border environments.