About 88 percent of the 390,000 containers shipped annually into the Port of Baltimore are never opened and inspected ? and the new top agent of the Baltimore FBI is concerned about what those shipments contain.
“The Port of Baltimore is something that we want to keep an eye on,” said William Chase, 50, the new special agent in charge of Baltimore who recently began directing more than 200 FBI agents in Maryland and Delaware.
Last year, Maryland received 32.4 million tons of foreign cargo and did business with more than 200 countries at Baltimore?s ports. Federal officials stress that physically opening and searching containers is not the only way to prevent terrorism at Maryland?s harbors. Port officials also conduct scans and radiation checks and analyze shipment information for suspicious behavior.
Nevertheless, Chase said, gathering intelligence on the packages flooding into Baltimore presents a daunting task.
“It?s really difficult to keep a watch over,” he said. “… We collect intelligence, analyze thatintelligence, and we disseminate it out to the agency most appropriate.”
In an interview with reporters at the Baltimore FBI headquarters Thursday, Chase said fighting terrorism is his top priority, but he also intends to focus on local gangs, political corruption and theft in Baltimore City and County.
“We?d like to increase our profile” in Baltimore, Chase said. “We?re looking for gang activity primarily in the city of Baltimore and Prince George?s County. … Nationwide we?ve seen a tremendous spike in violent crime related to gangs. We?d like to try to get out in front of that here.”
Chase refused to say which jurisdictions he will focus on for public corruption, but categorized the FBI?s investigations as “very active.”
Within the next few weeks, Chase said his agency also will announce a major theft task force in Baltimore City and County that will focus on such crimes as the hijacking of trucks.
