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Organization and Operations

Headquarters Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate

Headquarters staff provides operational and administrative management and oversight of the laboratory system.

Customs Mobile Lab
Customs Mobile Lab

Location and Contact Information

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Laboratories and Scientific Services
CB-03 Mail Stop #1110
Washington, D.C. 20229-1110

Voice: (202) 344-1060

Fax: (202) 344-2060

Email: lab-hq@cbp.dhs.gov

 

Science Officers plan, coordinate, and execute support operations in three major areas: trade enforcement, Weapons of Mass Destruction recognition and interdiction, crime scene investigations, and forensics. Science Officers also issue technical opinions, provide advice on World Customs Organization issues, and manage CBP Gauger/Laboratory Accreditation program.

General engineers and project managers acquire and deploy the latest non-intrusive inspection systems available. They also maintain performance schedules and expenditure rates, perform contract acceptance functions, provide site surveys, site preparation, and installations.

Service Area

The INTERDICT Science Center is a centralized facility that provides scientific support to CBP Headquarters, LSS Laboratories, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, and the greater DC Metropolitan area for their controlled substance identification requirements.

Location and Contact Information

Director
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
INTERDICT Science Center 22001 Loudoun County Parkway Mail Stop #1253
Ashburn, VA 20598-1253
Voice: (571) 468-4800
Fax: (571) 468-4827
Email: lab-INTERDICT@cbp.dhs.gov

Background
The LSS Integrated Narcotics Trafficking Evaluation and Response Center for Detecting International Chemical Threats (a/k/a INTERDICT Science Center) was originally established in 1970 as the U.S. Customs Service Research Laboratory which then became the DHS Springfield Laboratory in 2005. In 2018, the laboratory was rebranded to become the INTERDICT Science Center in response to provisions with Congress' International Narcotics Trafficking Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband Act (a/k/a INTERDICT Act) that provided U.S. Customs and Border Protection with funding to ensure it had the resources to prevent, detect, and interdict unlawful importation of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, narcotics, and psychoactive substances.

Service Area

The New York Laboratory, services the greater New York City area including the New York Seaport, JFK Airport, the Port of Newark and Perth Amboy.

Location and Contact Information

Director
New York Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
1100 Raymond Blvd.
Newark, NJ 07102

Voice: (973) 368-1900

Fax: (973) 368-1905

Email: lab-ny@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The Chicago Laboratory services Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York, except the New York Metro area.

Location and Contact Information

Director
Chicago Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
610 South Canal St., Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60607

Voice: (312) 983-9300

Fax:(312) 886-2210

Email: lab-ch@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The Savannah Laboratory services ports from Philadelphia, PA to Key West, FL.

Location and Contact Information

Director
Savannah Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
1425 Chatham Parkway
Savannah, GA 31405

Voice: (912) 447-6500

Fax: (912) 447-6506

Email: lab-sv@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The Houston Laboratory (Southwest Regional Science Center) services to Ports of Entry and Border Patrol Sectors in the following eight states: Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico. This geographic area contains 80 percent of the border between the United States and Mexico.

Location and Contact Information

Director
Houston Laboratory (Southwest Regional Science Center)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
4150 Interwood South Parkway
Houston, TX 77032

Voice: (281) 560-2900

Fax: (281) 372-0642

Email: lab-ht2@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

Los Angeles Laboratory services all of Southern California, Southern Nevada, including Las Vegas, Arizona, and the California-Mexico border in these areas.

Location and Contact Information

Director Los Angeles Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
3265 North Lakewood Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90808

Voice: (562) 354-2200

Fax: (562) 354-2208

Email: lab-la@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The laboratory services the northern two-thirds of California, as well as the states of Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Idaho. Major ports located in this service area include San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Blaine, Anchorage, Honolulu, and Denver.

Location and Contact Information

Director
San Francisco Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
630 Sansome Street, Room 1450
San Francisco, CA 94111

Voice: (415) 844-5744

Fax: (415) 844-5757

Email: lab-sf@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The San Juan Laboratory services the ports of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

Location and Contact Information

Director
San Juan Laboratory
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
651 GSA Center, Road #28 Km. 3.9
Guaynabo, PR 00934

Voice: (787) 729-6967/6968

Fax: (787) 729-6650

Email: lab-sj@cbp.dhs.gov

The Teleforensic Center provides scientific reach back support to field personnel on matters related to safeguarding of the nation's borders.

Contact Information
Email: LSSTCCUSTOMERSERVICE@cbp.dhs.gov

Service Area

The Interdiction Technology Branch is a centralized facility that provides system acquisition and technical support to CBP Headquarters and field personnel.

Location and Contact Information
Director
Interdiction Technology Branch
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Laboratories and Scientific Services
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 1575 North
Washington, D.C. 20229
Voice: (202) 344-1825
Fax: (202) 344-1418
lab-itb@cbp.dhs.gov

Functions

The LSS Interdiction Technology Branch (ITB) consists of general engineers, physical scientists, and project managers to provide CBP with an internal technical capability to ensure that field personnel have the best and most advanced high-technology enforcement equipment available. As the Department of Homeland Security and other organizations are conducting multiple research and development projects for next generation equipment, ITB assists CBP in assessing the "readiness" of equipment proposed for field validation and/or deployment. ITB also acquires and deploys current "off the shelf" equipment for both domestic and international operations. To that end ITB is the technical administrator of all NII procurements and system acquisitions fielded by CBP. To retain "lessons learned" and provide future strategic information for CBP managers, ITB is developing the capability to conduct advanced analysis, "what if" studies, and modeling and simulations to help proactively guide the acquisition, fielding and life cycle support for the high-technology enforcement equipment program. ITB advises CBP executive management on high-technology enforcement and inspection technology and technically represents CBP on these issues with other domestic and foreign agencies, Congress, the media, industry, and academia.

Last Modified: Aug 02, 2023