U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screened more than 1 million Kentucky Derby Festival attendees for potential terrorist threats and weapons of mass destruction over the weekend.
Teams comprised of officers from the CBP Port of Louisville and the CBP Chicago Laboratories & Scientific Services Directorate used mass destruction detection systems and handheld sensors to screen attendees of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s three primary events: Thunder over Kentucky, the Kentucky Oaks Horse Race, and the Kentucky Derby Horse Race.
“The Thunder over Louisville is the largest airshow, and fireworks display in all of North America, with the crowd of over 800,000 this year lining the banks of the Ohio River in both Kentucky and Indiana to watch it this year,” a CBP release stated. “The Kentucky Oaks Horse Race takes place at iconic Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, which drew over 113,000 attendees, and 144th ‘Run for the Roses’ Kentucky Derby Horse Race occurred, with another 157,000 VIPs and attendees to watch this world-renowned horse race.”
In collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, CBP teams deployed into event venues and surrounding areas to identify and mitigate any potential terrorist threats. Thomas Mahn, Port of Louisville port director, said, “It’s an honor for CBP to support our Law Enforcement Partners to ensure a safe venue during these challenging times.”