El Paso, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of El Paso will deploy enhanced X-ray inspections systems at the two commercial facilities. The Portal VACIS (Vehicle and Cargo Inspection Systems) is designed to scan cargo and containers for explosives, weapons and drugs while at the same time help expedite the inspection process.

The Portal VACIS acquires images of cargo containers and vehicles using gamma ray scanning technology to provide clear radiographic images of containers, showing the outlines and densities of the contents. The driver of the commercial conveyance will initiate the scanning process by pressing the start button. The driver will then pull the container forward so the gamma ray beam can capture the image.

“These systems give CBP officers the ability to perform thorough examinations of cargo without having to resort to the costly, time consuming process of unloading freight and performing a manual inspection,” said Patricia Aveitia, CBP’s acting port director in El Paso. “The CBP mission of processing people and cargo is a fine line of balancing security and facilitation”.

The VACIS provides CBP officers an additional tool to deploy as part of CBP’s strategic layered defense at the borders. CBP has various VACIS systems deployed across the northern and the southern borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.