Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano delivered a luncheon speech to the 42^nd Annual Conference on the Americas on Tuesday May 8. Her address focused on the Department’s efforts “to implement risk-based, information-driven security measures that support trade and travel essential to our economies.” The Secretary highlighted the critical partnerships that exist within the Western Hemisphere that are designed to secure American borders and “our ability to detect and deter a range of transnational threats.” The Secretary also noted that over the last few months a total of 14 agreements have been signed with countries in the Western Hemisphere that “focus on a broad range of topics, including combating human trafficking and transnational crime and other threat through enhanced information sharing while facilitating legitimate travel and international commerce.”

“At DHS, we believe good, thoughtful, sensible security by its very nature facilitates lawful travel and legitimate commerce,” said Secretary Napolitano. “A risked-based approach is not just smart security – it is efficient security. It can decrease wait times, increase trade and travel, and, importantly, keep costs down.”