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Colombian Maritime Delegation Visits Port of San Diego

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

A delegation of maritime representatives from Colombia visited the Port of San Diego on Monday, September 12, 2011, while on a nationwide tour to learn about recent developments in port security technologies.

The group toured the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier and the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal before boarding the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s Berkeley ferryboat along the North Embarcadero.

Aboard  the ferryboat they were welcomed to the Port of San Diego by Executive Vice President of Operations Randa Coniglio; Harbor Police Chief John Bolduc, vice president of Public Safety; and Director of Government and Community Relations Shahriar Afshar.

John  MacIntyre, Homeland Security program manager at the Port of San Diego, spoke about security challenges —and solutions —on and around San Diego Bay.

MacIntyre said the delegates were interested in learning how the port maintains an open bay for maritime trade and public recreation while adhering to national security requirements of an area with a major U.S. naval presence.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency sponsored the Colombian delegation’s visit.

Delegates included Vice Minister of Transportation Dr. Felipe Targa Rodriguez; Advisor to the Vice Minister of Transportation Claudia Glen Vargas, Ministry of Transportation; Director Sonia Cristina Uribe Vasquez, Cartagena National Tax and Customs Administration; Captain Jusan Carlos Acosta Rodriguez, general manager, Port of Cartagena; Captain Norberto Castaneda Lopez, port facility security officer, Port of Buenaventura; Director of Administraton and Security Patricia Patino Sabbagh, Port of Barranquilla; and Senior Commercial Specialist Juan Antia, U.S. & Foreign and Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy, Bogota.

The Harbor Police Department, the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego, works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs & Border Protection and other agencies to provide homeland security for San Diego Harbor.

The Port of San Diego was created in 1962 and has been responsible for $1.7 billion in public improvements in its five member cities: Imperial Beach, San Diego, Coronado, Chula Vista and National City.

The Port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, a cruise ship terminal, 17 public parks, various wildlife reserves and environmental initiatives, and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub-tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.