June 3, 2008

Armas Cruzadas

ICE led bi-lateral law enforcement and intelligence-sharing operation to thwart export of arms from U.S. into Mexico

Executive Summary

Along the U.S. and Mexican border, drug cartels, rival gangs and other criminal enterprises have steadily ratcheted up the violence in an effort to fill the void and increase the scope of their operations. In just the last few years, the level of violence occurring on both sides of the border has reached a feverish pitch, and high-ranking government and law enforcement officials are being targeted with an alarming frequency.

Until recently, the caliber and style of firearms moving from the United States into Mexico reflected the needs of Mexican law enforcement and tended to be far less deadly than the weapons currently being sought by rival drug cartels. Faced with such an explosive, high-caliber threat, U.S. and Government of Mexico (GoM) law enforcement agencies knew an equally effective, high-caliber response was needed. Operation Armas Cruzadas is the response to this unprecedented escalation in the illegal export of these deadly weapons from the United States.

Armas Cruzadas partners U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies to share information and intelligence in an effort to comprehensively attack the growing gun violence in Mexico," said Assistant Secretary Myers. "Faced with an explosive, high-caliber threat, we knew we needed an equally effective, high-caliber response to thwart the illegal export of weapons into Mexico.

ICE and Mexican agencies will synchronize key law enforcement and intelligence elements to successfully accomplish Armas Cruzadas. Through coordinated operations based on developed intelligence of arms trafficking networks in North America, the operation aims to stop the illegal export of weapons from the U.S. and into the hands of drug cartel organizations inside Mexico. This effort will help strengthen interagency cooperation between U.S. and Mexican federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and promote the exchange of intelligence through multiple points of contact.

Strategic Goals

The mission of Armas Cruzadas is for U.S. and Mexican government agencies to synchronize bi-lateral law enforcement and intelligence-sharing operations in order to comprehensively identify, disrupt and dismantle trans-border weapons smuggling networks. The goals include:

• Establishing a bilateral program to stop weapons smuggling
• Coordinating operations
• Developing intelligence about arms trafficking networks
• Strengthening interagency cooperation
• Promoting intelligence information exchange
• Implementing points of contact for information exchange

Partnership Roles and Responsibilities

ICE is the only federal agency with the requisite export authority to prosecute arms cases and seize weapons being smuggled out of the United States.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is also involved in this operation through their participation within the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) teams along the Southwest Border. ATF has domestic authority over weapons being illegally sold and transported within the United States.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will participate in this operation through its current involvement in the BEST teams as well. CBP will have organized enforcement operations relating to the ports of entry (POE) with Mexico and any weapons intelligence involving the POEs will be referred to CBP for interdiction.

Although the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has no authority involving arms if there is crossover with drug trafficking organizations smuggling weapons, the agency will be brought into those cases.

Key Points

Armas Cruzadas will help strengthen interagency cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies and promote intelligence information exchange through multiple points of contact. In order for the operation to succeed, ICE has incorporated the following key components:

• Training Stakeholders
  ICE will train stakeholders in appropriate laws, resources and methods used to combat trans-border smuggling as well as how to input and retrieve database information on active cases.
• Creating a Border Violence Intelligence Cell
  Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BEST) generates arrests, seizures and significant events raw data. ICE Field Intelligence Groups compile the raw data for reports, and the Border Violence Intelligence Cell (BVIC) analyzes the information.
• Developing a Vetted Arms Trafficking Group
  Receives and analyzes investigative information for exploitation in Mexico and provides investigative information from Mexican weapons seizures and arrests for exploitation by BEST.
• Implementing a Weapons Virtual Task Force
  The task force facilitates real-time online access to actionable information on daily firearms seizures, arrests and other intelligence generated by ICE, CBP, the Mexican government and other agencies as appropriate.
• Reinvigorating the ICE Border Liaison Program
  The Border Liaison Program establishes an official ICE point of contact for CBP, ICE representatives in Mexico, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as Mexican law enforcement agencies along the U.S. and Mexican border.
• Leveraging Investigation, Interdiction and Intelligence
  BEST will play an important role in Armas Cruzadas. The task forces are designed to increase information sharing and collaboration among agencies combating the escalating criminal activity and violence on both sides of the U.S. and Mexican border. BEST generates arrests, seizures, and significant event raw data. In turn, ICE Field Intelligence Groups compile the raw data for reports, and BVIC analyzes the information.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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