Assignment

The Port of Long Beach was the destination of a vessel from the Middle East carrying a contagious biological agent carefully hidden in its cargo. The terrorist plot was to have one of the longshoremen, a member of ISIS, retrieve the agent, distribute a portion of it to two other group members, then release it at LAX and San Diego airports during rush hour traffic in L.A. that evening and San Diego the following morning. According to Forbes, California is the 9th richest state in the United States based on income, gross domestic product, and tax dollars. Discuss port vulnerabilities and security strategies. Have there been infiltrations in the past 5 years? If so, how were they handled and what were some lessons learned? Based on your findings, suggest future, improved ways to protect U.S. seaports.The U.S. Coast Guard conducts "maritime surveillance, interdiction, and security operations." The United States has not experienced a serious, direct attack on a major seaport or cruise ship entering the United States. Why not? Identify and discuss specific U.S. Coast Guard efforts to conduct maritime surveillance, interdiction, and security operations in the past 10 years.

The paper will not be longer than 5 pages (excluding cover sheet and reference page).