Port of Baltimore again receives top Coast Guard security assessment

The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) - managed public terminals of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore received a top annual security assessment from the U.S. Coast Guard for the 17^th consecutive year. The Coast Guard’s review included detailed inspections focused on cyber and physical security requirements as well as a meticulous evaluation of the MPA’s facility security plan for its Dundalk, Seagirt, North Locust Point, South Locust Point (including the cruise passenger terminal), Fairfield, and Masonville marine terminals.

“The Maryland Department of Transportation is Serious About Safety, and the Port of Baltimore is a national leader on worker safety and cargo security,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. “I commend MPA Executive Director Jonathan Daniels and his team for another outstanding security review.”

Protecting the state-owned, public terminals is vital to continuing the Port of Baltimore’s ongoing recovery from the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident and maintaining safe and effective operations. In recent years, the MPA has significantly enhanced its security program at the public terminals by installing high-mast lighting and fencing, stronger gate and fence lines, and other physical security deterrents. Heightened cyber security and access control programs along with closed-circuit cameras have added to the investments and advances the MPA has made to its security program.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland conducts an annual inspection at the Port of Baltimore’s public terminals to ensure compliance with federal security regulations.

“It’s no secret that ports are often mentioned as significant targets for terrorism or cyberattacks,” said MPA Executive Director Daniels. “We take a comprehensive, team-approach to preventing those types of incidents through our MPA security, information technology, and operations departments, along with our partners, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Allied Universal. I thank all of them for their great efforts to make the Port of Baltimore one of the safest and most secure ports in the U.S.”

The Port of Baltimore handled approximately 50 million tons of cargo in 2025, it’s second-best year ever. Baltimore also set new records last year for the number of shipping containers in and out of its Seagirt Terminal and for the number of ship calls into its terminals.