From the Executive Associate Director: HSI’s Commitment to Collaboratively Combating Transnational Crime and Enhancing Public Safety

Collaboration and coordination among law enforcement agencies at all levels has always been a necessary cornerstone to effective and efficient policing. Historically, the necessity for various agencies to work together has been essential in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of criminals whose illicit activities moved from one jurisdiction to another. In recent years, a combination of rapid technological advances and other factors affecting the trade, travel, and financial industries has led to an era of increased globalization of criminal activities. Present-day criminal threats are significantly more transnational in nature and inherently more challenging to address. Confronting the growing threat of transnational crime requires proportionally greater collaboration between law enforcement at the local, state, federal, and international levels. This is the case more than ever before in the history of policing. Fortunately, the men and women of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are empowered with the unique authorities often needed to effectively combat transnational criminal activity and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). More important, every HSI special agent understands and appreciates the value of working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners at all levels to address the challenges TCOs pose to communities around the world.