WASHINGTON — To enhance cooperation in customs matters and improve the facilitation of travelers and goods, French Minister Delegate for Public Accounts Thomas Cazanave and Kristie Canegallo, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Wednesday.
The Joint Declaration outlines a commitment to improved collaboration in areas such as intelligence, inspections, investigations, targeting, and operational cooperation. It also focuses on securing container traffic, major port and airport facilities, express freight, e-commerce, and disrupting the financial flows of criminal organizations.
The enhanced cooperation aims to combat arms and drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, and threats to national security. Key entities involved include the French Customs Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations, the French National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The collaboration extends to French communities in the Pacific, Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna.
Further cooperation will occur between CBP’s National Targeting Center and the French Customs Risk Analysis and Targeting Service, focusing on risk analysis and targeting controls on passengers and cargo.
The Declaration also emphasizes joint efforts to secure the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics through the sharing of best practices.
On this occasion, Cazanave and Canegallo reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening operational cross-border cooperation to address current and sensitive threats, including the flow of goods, national security breaches, narcotics, fentanyl, forced labor, arms trafficking, economic and fiscal fraud, and money laundering.–News Desk