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CNN Live Today

Customs Service Reassures Americans of Secure Borders

Aired June 03, 2002 - 13:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. Customs Service wants Americans from coast to coast, border to border to know it is doing everything possible to keep those borders secure. Here is CNN's Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The plot of the movie "Sum of All Fears" revolves around the smuggling of a nuclear device into this country. The Customs Service says it is not a very likely scenario. And today, they put on a public display to try and make their case.

First, they say, they sort through the manifests and the itineraries of all the containers coming into this country to try to determine which pose the most risk. Those that do pose a risk are put through something like this. This is called a vacus (ph). It is a gamma-ray device. It takes a scan of what is inside a container. If inspectors find something they are uncomfortable with, it can be unloaded in some of the individual containers, can be put through this. It's an x-ray device, a portable one. It also has a nuclear detector on there.

If they want to take an even closer look, they can open up boxes and the like, but some containers are more difficult. They have an array of tools here that allows them to look inside via cameras and what not. And then if they have to, they can use this mobile laboratory to do chemical analysis, to figure out exactly what they are dealing with, whether it's chemical, biological, radiological or perhaps explosives. All in all, the commissioner of Customs says the situation is safer today than it was before September 11.

ROBERT BONNER, U.S. CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER: The U.S. Customs Service, along with other agencies of the United States government, but particularly U.S. Customs, has stepped out and taken steps that have in my judgment substantially decreased the possibility that an international terrorist organization could smuggle in let's say a weapon of mass destruction.

Certainly, any kind of radiological material or any kind of nuclear device, it's much, much, much less likely that that can happen today than before 9/11 as a result of some very alert steps the U.S. Customs has taken.

MESERVE: But Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner does concede that no system is full proof.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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