U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) faces a daunting task: process millions of shipments a year, keep legitimate commerce moving, and stop dangerous cargo—from fentanyl to counterfeit goods to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) precursors—before it enters the country. 

Every day, CBP processes over 90,000 containers at more than 300 ports of entry. Inside those shipments may be lifesaving goods—or it could be illicit cargo designed to undermine public health, commerce, or even national security.

The mission goes far beyond finding contraband. It’s about building the investigative trail needed to transform each seizure into actionable intelligence, evidence, network disruption, and ultimately, administrative or judicial action

Cargo and Trade Enforcement: The Daily Mission

Smugglers exploit high trade volumes with falsified paperwork, layered shipping routes, and shell companies. CBP’s trade enforcement mission goes beyond contraband interdiction and the consequences are far reaching:

  • Counterfeits threaten consumers and U.S. industries.
  • Forced labor imports violate human rights and U.S. law.
  • Tariff evasion schemes undermine fair competition.

These challenges demand not just inspections but data-driven investigations into patterns, supply chains, and repeat violators.

WMD Interdiction: Low Probability, High Consequence

Importantly, CBP also stands guard against the movement of radiological, chemical, biological, and nuclear materials. Even one lapse—a radiological item entering undetected, for example—could have catastrophic results.

While detection systems are vital, interdiction alone is not enough. Comprehensive security requires connecting seizures, intelligence, and global partners together into one investigative picture.

From Seizure to Investigation

Every interdiction is a crime scene. Whether the shipment contains fentanyl, counterfeit goods, or WMD precursors, effective follow-through requires:

  • Chain of custody for seized evidence.
  • Forensic integration of lab results, fingerprints, and DNA.
  • Case management that moves beyond single seizures to network dismantlement.

Without an investigative backbone, these opportunities for disruption are lost.

Blazing the Trail

The future of border security depends on more than inspections. It requires platforms that:

  • Fuse cargo manifests, trade data, and intelligence reports into one investigative view.
  • Support trade enforcement cases with dashboards for counterfeit patterns and trends and other risks.
  • Connect WMD precursor seizures to wider intelligence networks.
  • Track forensics and evidence with a full chain of custody capability.
  • Provide link analysis to expose hidden connections between shippers, importers, and global networks.
  • Enable secure collaboration across CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, DOE, and international partners.

Conclusion: Beyond Interdiction

Border security is much more than stopping individual shipments—it’s about dismantling the transnational networks behind them. By turning seizures into investigations, and investigations into intelligence, CBP can both protect legitimate commerce and strengthen national security.