CARIBBEAN TODAY


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~ A Caribbean Today feature


 Photograph by Sharon Bennett
 Jamaica's Minister of Transport Robert Pickersgill, center, is greeted on arrival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queens, New York by
 Sabrina Hosang, left, daughter of Vincent Hosang, director of operations at Caribbean Food Delights/Royal Caribbean Bakery; and
 AnnMarie Grant-Brown, executive director, American Foundation for the University of the West Indies. Pickersgill was the keynote
 speaker at last month's Anniversary Charity Ball organized by the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO), Inc., held at the hotel. Dr.
 Basil K. Bryan, consul general of Jamaica, served as patron of the gala, proceeds from which will benefit charities in Jamaica and
 the United States.


U.S. authorities seize $15 million worth of narcotics in Caribbean


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -
United States Coast Guard and
Customs and Border Protection
operations in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, along with other members
of the Caribbean Corridor
Initiative, announced Feb. 28 the
seizure of approximately 396
kilos of cocaine and 123.1 kilos
of heroin with an estimated
street value of $15,056,400.
 Six people were arrested in
the operation.
 After coordination between
the crew of Coast Guard Cutter
Northland and Caribbean
Corridor participating agencies,
Coast Guard intercepted a fast
boat about 92 nautical miles
north of Venezuela. The boat
had six people onboard and 18
bales containing narcotics. Coast


CAN WE TALK?


Peter A. Webley,
 Publisher


Guard apprehended the crew
and narcotics, and transported
them to the base where Customs
and Border Protection and other
federal agencies provided addi-
tional assistance in the operation.
GETAWAY ATTEMPT
 While the Northland Cutter
was on its way to the base it
encountered another fast boat
that attempted to elude the cut-
ter. The Coast Guard disabled
the engines and rescued five peo-
ple that were onboard the fast
board. The captain of the vessel
failed to abide federal regula-
tions when attempting to outrun
the cutter. All five crewmembers
were detained and were also
transported the base for ques-
tioning and processing.


Intelligence sources place
high-caliber drug traffickers
moving tons of drugs, and
money through the Caribbean.
 The Caribbean Corridor
Initiative is a Drug Enforcement
Strike Force that includes agen-
cies such as Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), U.S. Coast
Guard, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement and U.S.
Attorney's Office.
 "The Caribbean Corridor
Initiative has once again proven
that compiling resources pro-
vides results," said Marcelino
Borges, director of field opera-
tions in the region for CBP.


Most of us try to attract other people by the friends
we keep and the way we carry ourselves, If you
are going to a party or a formal function, don't you
dress well? We all want to promote a favorable
impression of ourselves to other people we meet
and talk to.
If we agree on that, then think of this. Why should it
be any different for your business? If you want to
project a favorable image of your company, in
order to win customers, you should keep your com-
pany with good friends and... dress your company
well in...


 Caribb anw[ #ay

 Consistently credible
 For information, please call
 305-238-2868, or fax 305-252-7843


Regional carriers defend


pricing system for CWC


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC A top regional airline
official is defending the pricing
structure now in use by
Caribbean carriers for the
International Cricket Council
Cricket World Cup (CWC)
2007 which runs through April
28.
 Michael Conway, presi-
dent and chief executive offi-
cer of Air Jamaica, said while
the airline is seeking to make a
profit from the venture, it
could not be accused of price
gouging.
 "Any time you have fewer
entities providing the goods and
services by definition there is less
competition. And it's opposite of
what a free market place is. The
more people providing the
goods, the better deal the con-
sumer will get," Conway said.

COMPLAINTS
 In recent months there
have been complaints from
passengers that the prices of
airline tickets and accommoda-
tion have increased significant-
ly as a result of the World Cup
games that begin this month.
Conway said he was not about
to defend the charges now in


use for regional hotel rooms,
but explained there was a logi-
cal reason for the recent hike
in regional airfares.


Conway


 "Any time you have a high
demand for something that is
going to drive prices up. I
think the airlines will be full. I
know we will be full on our
trips from Jamaica to
Barbados for the final. So what
does one do? Do they keep the
same prices or do you match
your pricing with the demand?
I think that's what people are
doing," Conway said.
0^


To ensure shipping and
 cargo security at its bor-
 ders, the United States
has implemented a Container
Security Initiative (CSI), which
consists of four core elements.
 These are: 1) establishing
security criteria to identify high-
risk containers; 2) pre-screening
those containers identified as
high-risk before they arrive at
United States ports; 3) using
technology to quickly pre-screen
high-risk containers; and 4)
developing and using smart and
secure containers.
 To be eligible to participate
in CSI, the Member State's
Customs Administration and
the seaport must meet the fol-
lowing three requirements:
* The Customs Administration
must be able to inspect cargo
originating, transiting, exiting,
or being transshipped through a
country.
 Non-intrusive inspectional
(Nil) equipment (including
gamma or X-ray imaging capa-
bilities) and radiation detection
equipment must be available
and utilized for conducting such
inspections. This equipment is
necessary in order to meet the
objective of quickly screening
containers without disrupting
the flow of legitimate trade.
 The seaport must have regu-
lar, direct, and substantial con-


trainer traffic to ports in the
United States.

RISK MANAGEMENT
 As part of agreeing to par-
ticipate in CSI, a Member
State's Customs Administration
and the seaport must also:
 Commit to establishing a
risk management system to
identify potentially high-risk
containers, and automating that
system. This system should
include a mechanism for vali-
dating threat assessments and
targeting decisions and identify-
ing best practices.
 Commit to sharing critical
data, intelligence, and risk man-
agement information with the
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection in order to do collab-
orative targeting, and develop-
ing an automated mechanism
for these exchanges.
 Conduct a thorough port
assessment to ascertain vulnera-
ble links in a port's infrastruc-
ture and commit to resolving
those vulnerabilities.
 Commit to maintaining
integrity programs to prevent
lapses in employee integrity and
to identify and combat breaches
in integrity

Edited from the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security's website.
0


MAN IN THE MIDDLE


Tighter security demands at

 U.S. borders, ports


March 2007


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