Maritime Transport Security Act in the United States

Maritime Transport Security Act
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Maritime Transport Security Act
* What is the role of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in securing trade in maritime ports? 
The US government regards international trade as an essential component of the country’s economy since its merchandise exports and imports amount to trillions of money (Thompson, 2011). Therefore, the movement of goods outside and inside American land is a massive concern to the government and requires a regulatory body to facilitate some security level to the country’s economy (Customs, U. S. 2005). The US Custom and Border Protection (CBP) is a body within the US DHS (Department of Homeland Security) whose primary role is to facilitate the legal flow of merchandise in and out of the US. The agency does so by monitoring export and import merchandise; regulating the amount and type of products that American merchants sell and buying through the global market. CBP's efforts in controlling trade in the US, probably export and import, are evident through its port entry activities.
The policies designed and implemented by the CBP have several functions. First, the policies ensure a coordinated flow of US imported cargo through the country’s port entry (Thompson, 2011). Secondly, the policies facilitate the enforcement of customs and trade laws that protect US business and its customers. The implemented laws also enable a significant collection of the country’s revenue. Lastly, the policies ensure the enforcement of laws that bring about import security. For instance, to attain import security in America, CBP ensures the prevention of any weapon that can cause citizens' mass destruction (Jones & Rosenblum, 2013). Also, it prevents the importation of illegal drugs and any other contraband that may enter the US through the port. It is usually Congress's work to oversee the CBP's role in its programs (Thompson, 2011). It organizes, authorizes, and defines the function of CBP about international trade. Currently, Congress has designed laws that authorize CBP facilitation of trade and ensure an effective sharing of responsibilities between the trade community and the CBP.
* What are the agency’s “current” maritime challenges?
There are varied challenges that CBP faces in its daily undertaking at the port entries. First, the agency struggles with the challenge of resources. Usually, CBP monitors millions of cargo worth billions of dollars and process documents for over a million travelers to intercept any possible dangerous or illicit traffic (Nguyen, 2012). For that reason, it suffices to remark that the work the agency does is very demanding. Therefore, it requires efficient resourcing and utilization of the available resources in its land, maritime, and air operating environments. One major problem which comes with the high demand for resources is funding. However, CBP can gain support from the government and donors, but following their poor employment records, probably recruitment, and employee retention, the agency struggles to source funds. There are never-ending efforts to improve on the side of employment.
Another evident problem that the agency struggles with is recruiting employees who are not experienced in handling matters concerning import security at the port entries. Therefore, the agency requires doing on-the-job training of the employees, which is expensive in times and other resources. Also, the recruitment of inexperienced workers and low retention of the already trained ones leads to poor organizational culture. The problem of inexperienced workers has remained unsolved since the creation of CBP in 2003 (Thompson, 2011). Several district organizations merged to form one organization, CBP, and later, perhaps within a decade, the number of CBP stakeholders increased rapidly. Many personnel was given jobs that they never trained; hence, the agency’s rapidly expanding and extending operational works were poorly performed. Therefore, it became a problem to execute organizational transformation with an inexperienced workforce. The problem is still experienced to date, but the agency strives hard to ensure significant organizational culture development.
The ever-advancing technology is another problem which the agency faces. The modern terrorists are effectively organized and use a high intelligence level to outwit officers at the port entries. Usually, the terrorist, drug traffickers, and smugglers have learned to use and embrace aerial drone technology (Jones & Rosenblum, 2013). For instance, todays, drug cartels move their products using drones, and the CBP officers cannot detect the round-trip the illegal merchandise is flown over the borders. There is, therefore, high demand for personnel and increased response to the vulnerability through the utilization of persistent and pervasive surveillance assets. Recently, CBP launched a pilot program that involved the use of a Small Unmanned Aircraft System.
Also, CBP faces a younger workforce's challenge, half eligible for the top ranks, which requires experienced personnel. The problem is that officers that retire are replaced with younger personnel. It has been noted that the DHS enjoys working with a youthful force, unlike other departments in the executive branch of the US government. In the mid-2000s, CBP experienced senior leaders' management that stabilized the agency amid the challenge of rapid expansion and, extension of its operations (Thompson, 2011). The senior officers embraced high level of personality in settling disputes, training young officers, and retaining a loyal workforce. However, with the boomers' retirement, the young generation takes over, and the agency experiences effects of middle-management, characteristic of inexperienced senior leadership. The agency is ever stressed with senior management's incapability and lack of amicable guidance to the junior employees. The retirement of experienced officers is a huge problem since the organizational operations keep on changing and become complex dues to the collaboration of other agencies (Nguyen, 2012). Within the CBP is a body referred to as Global Engagement Strategy, characterized by young management and lack of retention of experienced officers, hence poor international skills. 
* Additionally, how did th...