Rising military cargo tests CNMI biosecurity as officials warn prevention remains fragile

Scores of military cargo shipments moving through Guam and into the Northern Mariana Islands each year are being flagged as a persistent biosecurity risk, even as officials say prevention efforts are still holding the line.

On the first day of the CNMI Biosecurity and National Security Forum last April 6, three presenters outlined a system heavily dependent on strict inspection protocols, early detection, and continued U.S. military support, while warning that any lapse could expose the islands to invasive species with long-term environmental and economic consequences.

Stephen M. Mosher, regional biosecurity program manager for Joint Region Marianas, said the Department of Defense enforces a zero-tolerance cleanliness standard on all cargo entering the region.

“Under that Chapter 505, the Armed Forces Pest Management Board Technical Guide 31 is set as the cleanliness standard for DOD. So across all DOD service branches, this sets the cleanliness standard, and essentially that cleanliness standard is to have no biomaterial on the cargo. So that’s anything from containers to vehicles to flat racks to pallets, that there’s no insects, there’s no plant material, there’s no mud, dirt, soil, gravel, that’s devoid of all that potential to introduce species.”

He said those requirements are reinforced by local CNMI policies, including brown tree snake interdiction protocols and a regional biosecurity management plan that governs cargo movement between Guam and the CNMI.

“We do have a local instruction… on brown tree snake interdiction. So that sets the roles and responsibilities for brown tree snake control around the ports, as well as canine inspection for all DOD goods that are departed along.”

“We’ve developed a Joint Region Biosecurity Management Plan… basically the condensed version… So that’s one of our drivers for what the requirements for inspections, the cleanliness standards for cargo, as well as brown tree snake inspections,” said Mosher.

But while policy frameworks are in place, frontline inspection data shows just how much potential risk is reaching CNMI shores.

Eli Juhl, a biosecurity inspection coordinator with then Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, said Guam acts as the main staging hub for cargo bound for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“Guam is a major hub and then it spokes out to Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.”

He said every item is either cleared or flagged during inspection, with some requiring quarantine.

“We have just two results—it either gets passed or it gets quarantined because there was something found on the item.”

Inspection data shows the scale of that effort and the CNMI’s exposure.

“In 2024, we inspected 2,444 items on Guam that went to the CNMI and conducted 3,762 inspections. In 2025, 3,000 items and 4,555 inspections,” said Juhl.

Even when cargo passes inspection, Juhl said contaminants are frequently detected.

“The highest quantity was dirt, mud, sand, gravel, and spiderwebs and spiders and spider eggs.”

He warned that even non-living material can pose serious threats.

“Dirt and mud… this is home to the microbial community. Just because they can’t get up and walk away doesn’t mean that it’s less important.”

Beyond inspections, early detection teams are tasked with catching anything that slips through—an effort Kenneth Puliafico described as critical but more costly than prevention.

“Finding it early gives us the best chance of mitigating things or problems,” said Puliafico, a partnering facilitator and environmental professional with the CEMLL.

So far, the CNMI has avoided major new invasive species introductions, a point Puliafico emphasized.

Still, he cautioned that the threat is constant and potentially transformative.

“When that comes, it will change our perspective of land use extensively. We want to be the first ones to find it.”

In all, forum discussions during the Department of War segment highlighted local vulnerabilities, including staffing shortages, infrastructure gaps, and increasing cargo volume tied to military activity.

For now, officials say the system is working—but only because prevention remains the top priority.

“These cleanliness inspections are one of the front-line defenses… just a few hours of thorough cleaning really can greatly outweigh the consequences of transporting potentially invasive species,” said Juhl.