The U.S. Customs Service is one of many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies called into action to provide added security for such national events. On February 3, 2002, the City of New Orleans hosted Super Bowl XXXVI, and Customs inspectors from the Port of New Orleans played a major role in providing security for that event.

New Orleans Port Director Todd Owen and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jerry Burg contacted the Secret Service and offered the use of the local Customs x-ray van and mobile VACIS along with experienced port personnel to operate them. Every day in New Orleans, the x-ray van and the mobile Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) are used to scan cargo and containers for various types of contraband. Now, the same equipment would be used to identify explosives and weapons.

The VACIS is a large, mobile gamma ray non-intrusive inspection imaging system that uses radiographic images to help inspectors examine the contents of trucks, containers, cargo, and passenger vehicles for hidden compartments containing contraband. Conveyances are scanned with a long detector arm or tower. The radioactive source and the detector tower move along tracks while the vehicle remains stationary. The full image of the vehicle and its contents are produced at a nearby console, which is operated by a trained inspector. From the image, which resembles an x-ray in a doctor's office, trained inspectors can detect unidentified articles and hidden compartments within the container.

A week before the big event, Supervisory Customs Inspector Gordon Brown and his team were ready to demonstrate the technology. "My team was enthusiastic about the prospects of being involved in this huge security effort," says SCI Brown, who oversaw the seven seasoned inspectors and seven members of the Louisiana National Guard involved in this project.

Unknown to Customs, the Secret Service concealed a few dud hand grenades and a stinger missile launcher in a commercial over-the-road container. The alert inspectors operating the VACIS isolated and identified the articles within minutes. Soon afterward, this state of the art equipment and Customs inspectors from the Port of New Orleans became an integral part of Super Bowl XXXVI's security effort.

For four days before the game, including Super Bowl Sunday, inspectors and National Guard members worked around the clock to examine every commercial container, truck, and van destined for the Superdome. In addition to the VACIS, some cargo was scanned by the mobile x-ray van. Anything suspicious was physically inspected by the Secret Service and a cadre of bomb-sniffing dogs.

We are happy to report that all commercial container and cargo shipments arriving at the Super Bowl were legitimate. The next day, the x-ray van, VACIS, and SCI Brown's team were back working New Orleans seaport containers and cargo. As for the Saints, there is always next year, but at least Customs inspectors from the Port of New Orleans made it to the Super Bowl.

DID YOU KNOW? During a two-week period in February Customs received over 12,000 applications for inspector and canine enforcement officer positions primarily located on the northern and southwest borders.