F-14 parts scheduled for shipment anywhere overseas are almost certainly headed for Iran, the only other nation interested in the F-14, and a country actively engaged in the illegal acquisition of Advanced Conventional Weapons Technology (ACW) and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) from abroad.

"Most people," says Special Agent Michael Vanacore, Director of Strategic Investigations, Office of Investigations, "think our only job at Customs is to stop illegal items and contraband from entering the United States. What they don't know is that Customs is also the premier federal agency for export control - one of our most critical responsibilities is to prevent the illegal export of military and dual-use technology from the United States."

Lessons learned
On September 11, it became painfully clear to Americans everywhere, as well as to Congress and the Administration, that terrorists not only believe they have a motive to attack the United States, they also have the means. For years, the Department of Commerce and, more recently, the Department of State have maintained a list of export control items: dual-use technology, component parts, chemicals, and other technological and military items that an adversary might use to construct weapons to attack the United States. U.S. manufacturers interested in exporting to overseas markets routinely lobbied to keep their products off the list of prohibited items.

Some critics, inside and outside of government, say the result has been a steady erosion of national security. They contend that less and less attention has been paid to what items should and shouldn't be on the government's export control lists, while far too much attention has been paid to the pleas of profit-conscious manufacturers and defense contractors. The debate has become an especially pertinent one in the last weeks and months, but in the meantime, the effort to keep nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons or weapon-parts away from international terrorist organizations has gained a new urgency, and it is U.S. Customs that must ensure its success.

A new urgency
"Shield America" is the name of a new Customs enforcement program that Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner believes can keep sensitive military and dual-use technologies out of the hands of terrorists. At a press conference announcing the event on December 10, he stated, "We will seek to deny international terrorists of anything useful to them - but especially anything that can be used to make or deliver weapons of mass destruction - chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. It will also include technology that they could use to avoid detection and capture."

The effort is not a new one: Operation Exodus, which began in 1981, is the name of a Customs initiative that has allowed federal agents to investigate, pursue, and arrest a long list of individuals involved in the illegal sale of sensitive goods and technologies. Since the early 80s, Customs agents and inspectors have been thwarting attempts to smuggle everything from nuclear triggers, to TOW missiles, to fiber optic gyroscopes out of the U.S. and into the hands of rogue nations and terrorist networks.

In 1998, Customs raided a Maryland firm that was exporting thiodiglycol, a mustard gas precursor to Iran. In 1990, Customs agents working with British authorities intercepted 40 nuclear trigger devices - known as "krytrons" - destined for Iraq. In 1994, an undercover Customs investigation led to a federal grand jury indictment in Florida against two foreign nationals who had attempted to purchase and export 54 Stinger missiles, 12 missile launchers, and $4.6 million worth of military aircraft parts to Iran.

In 1997, Customs agents arrested two Lithuanians for conspiring to smuggle U.S. Stinger missiles into the U.S. and for offering to sell undercover agents "suitcase" nuclear devices. In September 2001, a 20-month Customs probe disclosed that operatives of a London-based firm called Multicore Ltd. were buying sensitive military items - HAWK missile components and fighter jet parts - from U.S. companies for export to Iran. These criminal "middle-men" were arrested, sentenced, and convicted in San Diego as a result of the part they played in this international conspiracy.

Project "Shield America" is an initiative driven by the singular commitment of the agency's new Commissioner, and a new determination in the Office of Investigations, which oversees the program, to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to keep U.S.-made technologies, military and dual-use components, precursor chemicals, and biological agents out of the hands of terrorists. Instead of responding reactively, Customs agents are going on the offensive, depending on proactive investigations that employ the newest techniques to detect and disrupt illegal exports before they can damage the nation's vital interests.

The Office of Investigations is fully committed to the Shield America effort. Customs agents, both here and abroad, will be working to forge relationships with manufacturers, exporters, and shippers in this international effort to prevent terrorist organizations from acquiring components and items with the potential to harm United States interests inside and outside of the U.S. Office of Investigations personnel will be working closely with the Office of Field Operations and with our traditional law enforcement counterparts, such as the Departments of Commerce and State, and the FBI, to ensure the security of U.S. interests. - Assistant Commissioner John Varrone, Office of Investigations

This means issuing a new alert to U.S. companies about the strategies that criminals use to purchase and smuggle these items out of the country illegally, as well as the possibility that the legal purchase of technology and other goods may lead to the misuse of these products once they leave the country.

Making it work
According to Special Agent Vanacore, special agents in Strategic Investigations are fanning out from field offices across the country, making contact with local companies and trade representatives, and alerting them to the importance of knowing exactly who their customers are and what they intend to do with the items they purchase.

"This isn't a heavy-handed approach," says Vanacore, "but we do want to build close relationships with U.S. manufacturers and contractors to stay on top of the situation. We need people inside industry who know what to look for and what to do when they think something suspicious is going on. And we need partners who are educated and informed about the ploys criminal or terrorist operatives use to acquire U.S. technology and equipment for their own, malevolent purposes."

We need industry partners who can tip us off to something they think warrants investigation. - Special Agent Michael Vanacore, Director of Strategic Investigations

Special Agent Vanacore says there's also a new emphasis on training and education within Customs. Specially trained Customs inspectors are in place at high-threat ports to inspect suspect exports. U.S. Customs attaches stationed in foreign countries are enlisting the support of host governments, initiating new investigative leads garnered from their foreign contacts, and developing information in support of ongoing domestic investigations.

For Commissioner Bonner, this is a first step in an effort he believes is critical to the security of the nation. As cooperation between federal agencies increases, he expects to shore up the fight substantially against the export of sensitive and dual-use technology and equipment.

"One thing is certain," the Commissioner stated; "it will take a vigilant effort from everyone involved - government and the private sector - to shield America from being targeted with its own technology. If the past is any indication, I have no doubt we will succeed in this battle too."

The Project Shield America Command Center is located in Washington, D.C., and is working closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce, State, Defense, and other agencies involved in the export of strategic U.S. materials, technologies, and services. Businesspeople or individuals that have information about illegal or suspicious activity can contact the Command Center by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.