DHS WORK LEADS TO CSI CERTIFICATION FOR CAUCEDO,

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001919 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR LAURA LUFTIG, INL; DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR CBP KEITH THOMSON; SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT PGOV PINS PREL KCOR DR SUBJECT: DHS WORK LEADS TO CSI CERTIFICATION FOR CAUCEDO, CUSTOMS CAPACITY BUILDING, AND HOUSECLEANING ¶1. (SBU) Embassy has been informed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that the Dominican port of Caucedo has been designated as meeting the necessary requirements of the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and that DHS and Dominican Customs have agreed on a text for a Declaration of Principles. A text of the Declaration has been transmitted to WHA/CAR. Depending on the timing of the signing, Caucedo would likely be the 45th or 46th or possibly the 47th port to receive CSI designation. ¶2. (SBU) DHS anticipates signing of the Dominican Declaration during the CBP-hosted "Global Targeting Conference" scheduled for June 20, 2006, in Washington, DC. Panama and Egypt have confirmed that they will sign their Declarations at this event. Jamaica and the Bahamas have also been invited, but have not confirmed their attendance. ¶3. (SBU) Dominican Customs Chief Miguel Cocco has suggested that the Dominican Declaration signatory be President Fernandez, assuming participation by President Bush. Embassy has not committed the USG to using a specific signatory, but has suggested that Ambassador Hertell could participate in an Embassy signing ceremony as early as next week should Dominican participation in the Global Targeting Conference prove problematic. ¶4. (U) Apart from CSI, DHS' joint work with Dominican Customs continues through an agreed program of training and capacity building designed to enable the Dominican government to meet the World Customs Organization Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade. ¶5. (U) Additionally, DHS' significant contribution to the Embassy's on-going anti-corruption work, combined with a receptive Fernandez administration, has resulted in a "housecleaning" in the Dominican Customs service; to date, Dominican Customs has fired approximately 100 customs officials for corruption-related offenses. HERTELL