Security beefed up at Los Angeles Port following scare in Miami

A security scare which disrupted operations at the Port of Miami prompted authorities to beef up security at the Port of Los Angeles on Sunday, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

"After learning about events in Miami, we took immediate action to enhance security at the Port of Los Angeles, including increasing police patrols and security checks at all our facilities," he said in a statement.

Three men of Middle Eastern descent, but legal residents of the United States, were detained around 8 a.m. at the Miami port, including the driver of a big rig attempting to make a delivery.

The driver, an Iraqi national, was stopped by a port security officer who became suspicious when the driver did not produce the proper paperwork for his cargo.

When the security guard found another Iraqi and a Lebanese national in the truck, even though the driver had said he was alone, a Miami-Dade County bomb squad was called, as was a hazardous materials team.

Authorities found no security threats and later said the scare was possibly the result of a miscommunication due to a language barrier.

The truck's contents matched the driver's cargo manifest, according to port officials.

"While we cannot and should not prejudge events on the ground in Miami, it is critical that we remain vigilant at all times and in all circumstances," Villaraigosa said.

"Securing our ports is absolutely critical to our coordinated homeland security strategy, and we need to treat every incident as an opportunity to improve and strengthen our efforts in this area."

Operations proceeded normally throughout the day, he added.

Source: Xinhua