see also: in March 2005 Press Releases:   DHS Begins Second Phase of Arizona Border Effort   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Seize Cocaine Valued at $1.7 Million at Oroville, WA   Port of Dubai to Implement the Container Security Initiative and Begin Targeting and Pre-Screening Cargo Destined for U.S.   Importer Transitions from Focused Assessment to the Voluntary Importer Self-Assessment Program   U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican Officials Officially Open Remodeled Tecate Port of Entry   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Names New Port Director ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Miami – The Miami Post-Interdiction Committee was selected as one of three recipients nationwide of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Deputy Administrator’s Safeguarding Award. The presentation was made in a special ceremony here on March 3.

The collaborative efforts between PPQ and CBP in completing three initiatives were recognized: Most Wanted Agriculture Pest Poster, Operation “Bug Off” and the Mediterranean Zone Temperature Study – combining experience from both agencies in the fight against agricultural pests and diseases, most notably the agriculture threat associated with imported Italian tile.

Many imported tile shipments are associated with high-risk pest pathways, including snails and other pests that, allowed to enter in containers and other conveyances, could seriously harm agricultural resources in the U.S. The team’s efforts have been successful in improving targeting for these high risk shipments, providing new avenues for risk communications, and lending their technical expertise to enforcement teams and others at the port of Miami.

“I am proud of the work done by the interdiction committee,” said PPQ Deputy Administrator Richard Dunkle in a letter to Miami Port Director Jose Ramirez. “Each member should be proud of his or her accomplishments. Many thanks for your hard work and the work of this committee in addressing this very important issue.”

“Efforts like this reinforces our continued close cooperation and collaboration with USDA,” said CBP Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations, Jayson Ahern. “It demonstrates to the American people how we are working together every day to keep unwanted foreign pests and diseases from entering our country.”

The Safeguarding Award is given annually by USDA/PPQ in recognition of initiatives and innovations that make significant contributions to furthering the goal of safeguarding American agriculture and plant resources.

Award recipients include:

Jose S. Ramirez, CBP Port Director, Miami Seaport
Gerard Russo, Chief CBP Agriculture Specialist and Committee Chair
Robin Schmaltz, CBP Supervisory Agriculture Specialist
Martha Lorenzo, CBP Agriculture Specialist
William Tang, USDA/APHIS/PPQ, Identifier
Julie Aliaga, USDA/APHIS/PPQ, State Operations Support Officer
Camille Morris, USDA/APHIS/PPQ, Supervisor, SITC (Safeguarding, Intervention and Trade Compliance program)

Project support includes the following CBP personnel from Miami: John Casale, Chief Inspector, Trade Operations; Grethell Gomez, Field Analysis Specialist; Geneveva Pereira-Davis, Agriculture Specialist; Paul Douglas Barker, Agriculture Specialist; Esther Ramirez, Senior Inspector, Problem Resolution, and Jose A. Lorenzo, Agriculture Specialist.

In Fiscal Year 2004, CBP Agriculture Specialists inspected nearly 1 million conveyances; 83 million passengers/pedestrians and conducted nearly 3.6 million cargo inspections. As a result of those inspections, more than 1.6 million interceptions of prohibited plant materials, meat/poultry products, and animal by-products were recorded. More than 64,000 “actionable” pests were intercepted – pests determined to be direct threats to crops, livestock, and other agricultural resources in the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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.