Overview of CBP's National Targeting Center
According to articles in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Today, CBP's National Targeting Center (NTC), established on October 21, 2001, is the centralized coordination point for all of CBP's anti-terrorism efforts. The NTC provides target-specific information to field offices and is continuously operational. In January 2003, the NTC moved to a new facility in Northern Virginia.
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CBP states that the NTC is staffed by personnel from all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disciplines, and has established liaison with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Energy, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Food and Drug Administration's Prior Notice Center is also a part of the NTC.
All Cargo Destined for U.S. is Screened by the NTC to Pinpoint Targets
CBP states that in addition to passenger scrutiny, all cargo destined for the U.S. is screened at the NTC, and may be rated from zero (no risk) to 300 (highest risk). CBP explains that the NTC looks at information on a macro level using both external and internal sources such as the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS), the Automated Commercial System (ACS), the Automated Targeting System (ATS), and the Automated Entry System (AES).
According to CBP, a NTC analyst may pursue several different analytical tracks to pinpoint a target. Among other tracks, the analyst may conduct a trend analysis on a specific commodity or the analyst may evaluate importer relationships by the types of goods routinely imported and the ports of entry normally used.
Article in March 2004 issue of Customs and Border Protection Today available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2004/March/presidential_ntc.xml
Article in June/July 2003 issue of Customs and Border Protection Today available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2003/june_july/ntcfinal.xml