Washington ? Homeland Security agents do not consistently screen sensitive chemical and biological materials to ensure they are being legally exported, the department’s inspector general said Tuesday.

Failure by Customs and Border Protection inspectors to update internal databases has led to security gaps in determining whether chemical and biological exports are properly licensed, the Homeland Security Department’s internal watchdog said in a report.

The exports, which have military and civilian uses, come under stricter controls when they are sent to countries and entities of concern to U.S. national security.

The department “does not consistently enforce federal export licensing laws at all U.S. ports of exit,” acting Inspector General Richard L. Skinner said in the report.

Monitoring of the exports “is limited by inadequate information and staff resources,” Skinner found.

The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is an arm of the Homeland Security Department.

Customs spokesman Pat Jones said the bureau is updating its databases to make sure that licensing information for chemical and biological exports is easily available at all U.S. ports.

The internal report “wants us to review our resources and examine our export enforcement procedures,” Jones said. “And we’re doing that.”

He also questioned whether agents receive extensive training to help them identify which chemical and biological products can be used for military purposes – and should come under closer scrutiny.

“Things are leaving the country in huge volume, and ideally, Customs officers are looking for licenses and making sure everything is inspected,” Jones said. “But overall, you just can’t catch everything.”

Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association in Washington said the security gap “illustrates the difficulty of using export controls as a main line of defense against the spread and development of illegal chemical and biological agents.”