Publicado por Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, defensor del pueblo y asesor principal, Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement o ICE)

Es un honor para mí haber sido nombrado hoy el primer defensor del pueblo del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE). A medida que el ICE continúa implementando reformas respecto a detenciones y otros programas relacionados con la aplicación de la ley, mi equipo y yo nos desempeñaremos como punto de contacto para las personas, incluidos quienes son parte de procesos de inmigración, entidades no gubernamentales y otros grupos comunitarios y de propugnación que tienen inquietudes, preguntas, recomendaciones o asuntos importantes que deseen plantear.

Aunque este nuevo cargo será un desafío, considero que producirá beneficios significativos tanto para el ICE como las partes interesadas. Mientras nos esforzamos por producir significativos cambios de política en la asignación de recursos para el cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración y destinarlos a prioridades sensatas, la implementación de procesos y medidas de política que le dan prioridad a la salud y seguridad de los detenidos bajo nuestra custodia y a la vez aumentar la supervisión federal, además de la mejora de las condiciones de confinamiento en nuestro sistema de detención, me esforzaré por aumentar y mejorar el diálogo con la comunidad interesada.

He dedicado la mayor parte de mi vida al servicio público. Comencé a trabajar para el ICE en el 2008, primero como asesor y analista de política relacionada a la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración, detención y menores de edad, y recientemente como asesor principal de la división de administración de detenciones de Operativos de Control y Deportación (Enforcement and Removal Operations o ERO). Previamente, ejercí como abogado y fui homenajeado como Abogado del Año de Maryland por servicios pro bono por mi trabajo con Community Legal Services del condado Prince George.

En mi nuevo cargo, tendré cuatro responsabilidades principales:

• Ayudar a las personas y partes interesadas en la comunidad a presentar sus quejas e inquietudes de acuerdo a la política y forma de operar de la agencia, en particular, las inquietudes relacionadas con las medidas del ICE para velar por el cumplimiento de la ley que afectan a ciudadanos estadounidenses;
• Informar a las partes interesadas sobre la política, programas y proyectos de ERO, además de propiciar un mejor entendimiento sobre la misión y valores fundamentales de ERO;
• Fomentar la participación de las partes interesadas y encontrar socios para facilitar la comunicación, promover la colaboración y solicitar comentarios sobre proyectos y operativos para velar por el cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración, y
• Asesorar a los líderes del ICE sobre las conclusiones, inquietudes, recomendaciones y prioridades de las partes interesadas, con relación a mejoras a los esfuerzos y actividades para velar por el cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración.

Asumo este nuevo cargo con gran entusiasmo y me siento orgulloso de esta agencia por valorar los comentarios de la comunidad y poner énfasis en la transparencia y la facilidad de acceso, a la vez que el ICE continúa concentrándose en medidas de aplicación de sentido común y reformas sensatas de política. Espero que me comuniquen sus preguntas, comentarios e inquietudes. Estoy aquí para ayudarlos.

Posted by Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, Public Advocate & Senior Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Today, I am honored to be named U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s first-ever public advocate. As ICE continues to implement detention reforms and other enforcement-related initiatives, my staff and I will serve as a point of contact for individuals, including those in immigration proceedings, NGOs, and other community and advocacy groups, who have concerns, questions, recommendations or important issues they would like to raise.

While this new role will be challenging, I believe it will reap significant rewards for ICE as well as for stakeholders. As we work to enact significant policy changes to focus the agency’s immigration enforcement resources on sensible priorities, implement policies and processes that prioritize the health and safety of detainees in our custody while increasing federal oversight, and improve the conditions of confinement within the detention system, I will strive to expand and enhance our dialogue with the stakeholder community.

I have committed the greater part of my life to public service. Since 2008, I have served with ICE, first as an advisor and analyst on policies related to immigration enforcement, detention and juveniles, and most recently as the senior advisor for Enforcement and Removal Operation’s (ERO) detention management division. Prior to that, I served as an attorney and was recognized as the Maryland Attorney of the Year for Pro Bono Service working with Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County.

In my new position, I will have four main duties:

• Assist individuals and community stakeholders in addressing complaints and concerns in accordance with agency policies and operations, particularly concerns related to ICE enforcement actions that affect U.S. citizens;
• Inform stakeholders on ERO policies, programs and initiatives, and enhance understanding of ERO’s mission and core values;
• Engage stakeholders and build partnerships to facilitate communication, foster collaboration and solicit input on immigration enforcement initiatives and operations; and
• Advise ICE leadership on stakeholder findings, concerns, recommendations and priorities as they relate to improving immigration enforcement efforts and activities.

I am thrilled to assume this new role and proud of this agency for valuing community input and emphasizing transparency and accessibility as ICE continues to pursue common sense enforcement priorities and sound policy reforms. I hope you’ll reach out to me with your questions, comments and concerns. I am here to assist you.

Posted by John Morton, Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)


On the eve of Super Bowl XLVI, ICE has already scored a victory. Through Operation Fake Sweep, a nationwide enforcement operation targeting stores, flea markets and street vendors selling counterfeit game-related sportswear, we seized more than 42,692 NFL trademarked items with a record-breaking value of $4.86 million – up from $3.72 million last year.

In addition we seized the domain names of 291 illegal Internet websites selling counterfeit NFL merchandise largely made overseas and 16 websites engaged in illegal streaming of live sporting events and pay-per-view events over the Internet, including the Super Bowl. This is the largest number of websites we have ever seized in a single operation.

Intellectual property (IP) thieves undermine the U.S. economy and jeopardize public safety. American jobs are being lost, American innovation is being diluted and organized criminal enterprises are profiting from their increasing involvement in IP theft.

Discerning consumers should know that counterfeiters are more pervasive and more sophisticated than ever before. The fake merchandise and the bogus websites look authentic. The prices are discounted, yet not ridiculously low. So even a savvy consumer might not realize he or she is being duped. These are new tricks of the counterfeiting trade.

In sports, players must abide by rules of the game, and in life, individuals must follow the laws of the land. Our message is simple: abiding by intellectual property rights laws is not optional; it's the law

Posted by Director John Morton, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

This blog post is part of a series of posts related to National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Human trafficking victims are often hidden in plain sight. That was the case in northern Virginia in 2009 when Jose Ciro Juarez-Santamaria, an El Salvadoran national and MS-13 gang member, forced a 12-year-old girl – a runaway – into a life of prostitution. This past October, thanks in large part to the work of our Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, Juarez-Santamaria was sentenced to life in prison for child sex trafficking.

Sadly, scenarios like this one play out across the country every day. Through the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) HSI agents, DHS works hard to prevent and combat human trafficking. Last fiscal year, ICE initiated more than human trafficking investigations, which resulted in more than 900 arrests, 400 indictments and 270 convictions.
You can help us combat human trafficking and continue to put traffickers like Juarez-Santamaria behind bars. I urge you to keep your eyes and ears open to report suspicious activity and help us crack down on these horrific crimes.
At ICE, we not only investigate cases of human trafficking, but we also provide services and support to trafficking victims. ICE has full-time victim assistance coordinators at nearly 70 percent of its HSI field offices. We also have 350 collateral-duty coordinators who provide counseling and crisis intervention services when necessary.

President Obama declared January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Please join ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the fight against this heinous crime. If you suspect human trafficking, I encourage you to call 866-DHS-2-ICE or complete our online tip form. We can’t combat human trafficking without your assistance.

Posted by Secretary Janet Napolitano

As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to highlight some of the significant steps we have taken in 2011 to guard against terrorism, secure the nation's borders, engage in smart enforcement of our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, and mature and strengthen the homeland security enterprise.

On Monday, I visited DHS components in the National Capital Region with CNN’s Erin Burnett to highlight our operations, and meet with our employees on the frontlines.  We had the opportunity to see firsthand the work that DHS employees are doing every day to keep our nation safe and secure.

Secretary Napolitano speaks with CNN's Erin Burnett at Washington Dulles International Airport

At Washington Dulles International Airport, we saw how the Transportation Security Administration’s new risk-based security measures strengthen security while expediting the checkpoint process for travelers, and also saw the kinds of prohibited items our officers find every day, from firearms to concealed weapons.

Secretary Napolitano is shown a prohibited item at a TSA checkpoint

Following this, we moved to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint at Dulles, where CBP officers demonstrated the Global Entry program, designed to expedite customs processing for low-risk travelers through rigorous background checks, and also saw contraband and fraudulent documents seized at the airport.

Secretary Napolitano meets with members of Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1), who deploy to support the response needs of state and local officials at disaster sites around the country

Later, at a FEMA facility in Virginia, we met with members of FEMA’s Incident Management Assistance Team and Fairfax Urban Search and Rescue Team, who have deployed to support the needs of state and local officials in response to disasters throughout the country, including Hurricane Irene and the severe storms that struck Alabama this past spring.  And at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cyber Crimes Center, we saw how our agents are working to identify cyber crime activity, and protect victims. 

Secretary Napolitano visits the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center

We concluded the tour at the Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center, where our agents participated in a training exercise involving a simulated live attack on a motorcade, and briefed us on the Secret Service’s efforts to detect counterfeit currency and remove it from circulation.

These operations represent some of the many ways the men and women of DHS are working every day to protect our country and the American people.  To read more about the progress made in 2011, visit our website.  As we move into the new year, I want to thank all DHS employees, and our many partners across the country and around the world, for their tireless efforts every day to strengthen the safety, security, and resilience of our nation.

Posted by Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute

On Veterans Day, we recognize the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans, including many of our colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security. Every day, these men and women bring their skills, talents and experience to our many mission areas in order to keep our nation safe.

Because veterans play such an important role in our Department’s mission, Secretary Napolitano set a goal to employ 50,000 veterans at DHS by the end of 2012. We are proud that today, thanks to the commitment of individuals across the Department, we have reached that goal, more than a year ahead of schedule. Veterans now comprise 25 percent of our civilian workforce, in addition to the 49,000 active duty and reserve members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Who are some of these individuals? Jim Bryant, a Human Resources Specialist at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), is a former service member who is now helping us expand our outreach to the veteran community. Bryant, who served for 21 years in the U.S. Marines, shares information with veterans about finding jobs at FLETC – where 40 percent of employees have a military background.

Or Michael Lozano, a 20-year military veteran, whose career included a combat deployment with the U.S. Marines as a Sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and a recent deployment with the Air Force Reserve. Michael and his wife, Valery, currently serve as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents in the Phoenix Field Office in Phoenix, Ariz.

Veterans like these bring their talents to every corner of our Department, continuing their service to our country as Transportation Security Officers, U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents, Federal Protective Service officers, and headquarters staff.

In addition to hiring veterans, we are proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, DHS spent more than $1 billion in purchases and contracts with veteran owned small businesses, which provide critical goods and services to our Department.  

As a former member of the U.S. Army, I am proud to join with my fellow veterans in the important and remarkable work of DHS. We will continue our efforts to hire veterans, to contract with veteran owned businesses, and to engage the veteran community, as we work together to build a more secure and resilient Nation.

Posted by Secretary Napolitano

Today I visited the University of Wisconsin – Madison to announce an important new initiative to help streamline the international student visa process and encourage foreign students to study and lawfully remain in the United States.

Each year, more than a million international students study in our nation’s world-leading system of universities, exchange programs, and training opportunities.

These students enrich the cultural and academic life of campuses like the University of Wisconsin and many others across our country. They also contribute directly to our economy, serve as a source of innovation by generating new ideas, and enhance our nation’s economic, scientific and technological competitiveness.

The Study in the States initiative that Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton and I announced today will examine regulatory changes, expand public engagement between government and academia, and provide a user-friendly online information hub for DHS and its agency partners to provide students with updated and relevant visa requirements. 

Students will benefit from links to social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and useful information about visa requirements, exchange visitors, and the academic community. 

The Study in the States site includes information from all agencies involved with prospective and current international students, as well as the academic community and the public at large. It will enable DHS and our partner agencies to coordinate and disseminate messages to international students, exchange visitors, and their dependents, that travel to the United States to study each year. 

It also will help us ensure the international student population is clearly informed about student visa rules and regulations. And it will enhance coordination among the various federal agencies that play a role implementing our student visa and exchange visitor programs.

We’re pleased to be working with students, educational institutions, and our many federal partners on this important effort. It will help us ensure that the best and brightest international students continue to make America their destination of choice.

Posted by Douglas A. Smith, Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector


The DHS Private Sector Office engages individual businesses, trade associations, academia, and other non-governmental organizations that work with the Department as part of the broader homeland security enterprise. As a part of this engagement, we hosted the third DHS for a Day on June 2nd in Miami, Florida. The series continues to grow in popularity with private sector participation from academia, retail, finance, shipping, and a variety of other industries.

In Miami, we showcased more DHS components than ever before – including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The day began in the Coast Guard’s ‘Gator Den’ with briefings that provided an overview of DHS’ missions in the Miami area, while emphasizing the partnership between DHS components and their public and private sector partners.

After the presentations, the group boarded the 100 ft. USCG Cutter Kodiak Island for a brief tour of the harbor and cruise ship terminal. As part of the tour, USCG staged a live air-to-sea rescue demonstration, showcasing multiple rescue methods. These critical lifesaving capabilities are utilized daily in the Miami area for those who encounter trouble at sea.

After returning to USCG Base Miami Beach, ICE gave a brief presentation on their Tactical Dive Team, one of the many layers of security that DHS uses to prevent contraband from entering the country.

In the afternoon, the participants traveled to the sea port to see firsthand a variety of security procedures employed by CBP personnel – including radiological, canine and hands-on screening – to secure the more than 10,000 containers that travel through the port each month.

While visiting with CBP officials, the group also saw some of the innovative ways that smugglers attempt to bring illicit items into the country – including fake plantains, roofing tiles and an entire airplane engine that contained 244 pounds of cocaine, to name a few.

After experiencing CBP operations at the sea port, the group headed to the final stop of the day: Miami International Airport (MIA). There they toured a variety of facilities comprising the CBP Passenger Analysis Unit and the Customs Screening Area. These programs, targeting different aspects of a travelers entrance into the U.S., ensure that our borders continue to be secure while allowing legitimate travel to flow quickly through.

The group rounded out the day with a meeting with TSA officials at MIA to learn about explosive detection technology and TSA’s efforts to secure legitimate trade and travel while preventing terrorist attacks.

We hope participants left this third DHS for a Day with not just an inside look into DHS operations but a better understanding of our mission and the challenges we face. As we plan the next event, we will continue to strengthen partnerships with our public and private sector stakeholders as we all share responsibility to protect the homeland.

Learn more about the DHS for a Day program.

ICE Director John Morton (left) and French Ambassador to the U.S. Francois Rivasseau pose with the famous Degas painting.  Photo by: ICE

Nearly 40 years after a small but rare painting by master French impressionist Edgar Degas disappeared without a trace, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit of of ICE has returned it to it's rightful owners.

The painting, entitled 'Blanchisseuses souffrant des dents' - depicting a laundress in a while veil suffering from a toothache - was on display at the Malraux Museum in Le Havre, France in 1973 when it vanished seemingly into thin air. Decades passed with no sign of the painting until it resurfaced in October 2010 at a Sotheby's auction, mere weeks before it was to be sold.
Authorities from Interpol spotted the piece and tipped off HSI agents.

After close work with the French government and Interpol, HSI determined that this piece was indeed themysterious stolen Degas and determined the rightful owners to be the people of France.


'Blanchisseuses souffrant des dents' by Edgar Degas Photo by: ICE

Although the piece is valued at approximately $350,000 to $450,000 - much less than other Degas pieces - the work is especially cherished by the French as very few original Degas paintings remain within their national borders.

"However exceptional this situation may be, it's not just a coincidence," said French Ambassador to the United States Francois Rivasseau as he joined ICE Director John Morton to unveil the painting at a repatriation ceremony held at the French Ambassador's residence last week. "It's a concrete example of the close cooperation that exists between the United States and France with respect to combating the trafficking of cultural property, and the key role played by Interpol in this area."

Morton also expressed his delight over solving at least part of this decades-long cold case. While the investigation into just how the piece disappeared is still ongoing, Morton said that HSI is "better equipped than ever before" to combat crimes of theft and trafficking of cultural artifacts. "I'm proud to stand here today to hand over one of those items, soon to be rewoven into the fabric of France's rich cultural heritage."


Repatriation ceremony for the lost Degas at the residence of the French Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Photo by: ICE


Investigating crimes involving cultural property, art and antiquities is one of the lesser known but integral parts of ICE's mission. Some of the most memorable items HSI recovered and returned in 2010 include an Egyptian sarcophagus returned to Egypt, a silver pendant engraved with the image of Peter the Great returned to Russia, an 18th century manuscript depicting a town's history returned to Italy, and fossils returned to the Peoples Republic of China.

Learn more about the important role that ICE plays in cultural property, art and antiquities investigations.

We here at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage you to stop by and take a look at our newly redesigned website - ICE.gov. Directly on the homepage, you can access the latest news, photos and videos, as well as learn about what the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative agency does to combat everything from terrorism to drug or human smuggling as well as enforce our nation’s immigration laws. It’s been our experience that the Web is a great way to tell ICE-related stories. The revamped ICE.gov allows us to do just that using a compelling, accessible and informative platform.

The new site focuses on our two main program areas— Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. By clicking on “Investigations” or “Enforcement and Removal” from the homepage, visitors can find information about all of ICE’s programs.

ICE.gov also features tools that the public can use.

• Family members, legal counsel or advocacy organizations searching for detainees can use the Online Detainer Locator System to determine where the person is located.
• Individuals can also report counterfeit or copyright crimes through the IPR Center Referral Form.
• Or if you witness suspicious activity related to ICE’s mission, I encourage you to drop us a line at our Tip Line, 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

Best of all, ICE has integrated several Web 2.0 functions into the site. Visitors can share our stories on their Facebook pages, bookmark us through de.li.cious, follow us on Twitter or view short videos about our latest investigations on YouTube.

Next time you have a moment, visit ICE.gov. We’re just a click away.

John Morton
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Department of Homeland Security

Written by: John Morton, Director, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Too often, political posturing rather than facts dominates the debate surrounding immigration. But when you look at the facts, including record-breaking statistics, our record shows this Administration is serious about sensible and tough enforcement.

Let’s start with the facts. As required by federal law, one of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) primary missions is to remove illegal aliens from this country. Under this Administration, ICE has focused its efforts on removing criminal aliens, recent border entrants, and immigration fugitives. The results have been unprecedented. Last fiscal year, ICE removed a record 389,000 illegal aliens from the United States, 136,000 of whom were criminals. So far this fiscal year, we have removed a record 170,000 criminals and have placed more people—criminal and non-criminal--in immigration proceedings than ever before.

The recent expansion of Secure Communities, which uses biometrics to identify criminal aliens in local jails and prisons, has significantly increased the number of criminal aliens subject to removal. To ensure these individuals who have been convicted of crimes such as assault, arson, drug trafficking, burglary, drunk-driving, do not pose further danger to our communities, ICE has implemented a policy to expedite the removal of convicted criminal aliens and ensure these cases are prioritized by our courts. Simply put, this is a common sense solution to ensure convicted criminal aliens are not released into our communities and address the record backlogs cases our courts currently have pending.

According to the National Drug Threat Assessment 2009, Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) represent the greatest organized crime threat to the United States today. They threaten our economy, our communities, our children - all for obvious reasons. Simply put, combating DTOs must be a priority in the overall fight against drugs. Today, the Department of Homeland Security finalized an important step as part of that effort.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Mexico (PGR) formalized a new agreement, called the Illegal Drug Program (IDP), today in El Paso to help halt the progress of DTOs. Under the new agreement, Mexican nationals (except those with dual citizenship or permanent resident of the U.S.) who smuggle drugs through El Paso ports of U.S. entry will now be sent back to Mexico where they will face prosecution and possible imprisonment in their home country.

ICE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations Alonzon Peña said of the agreement, “The governments of Mexico and the U.S. both realize that it is vital to the national security of our respective nations and the health and well-being of our respective citizens, to dissuade and reduce the smuggling and trafficking of narcotics across our shared border.”

U.S. law enforcement agencies normally prosecute Mexican nationals caught trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. Under the IDP, after the U.S. Attorney’s Office review of these cases, ICE will transfer these drug smugglers coming through El Paso back to Mexican authorities who will prosecute them.

The IDP extends the bilateral enforcement effort, which was initiated in Nogales, Ariz, in October 2009. As a result, two drug offenders were sentenced to 10-year prison terms.
The agreement is an example of the collaborative effort between the governments of Mexico and the U.S. as we work to stem the flow of drug smuggling and violence this crime brings along the southwest border.

Expanding the IDP along the El-Paso-Juarez border requires adding 23 special agents and three group supervisors to the region. These courageous men and women will be on the front lines working to bring an end to the terrible effects of the drug trade and the violence it brings.

Greetings from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

By any measure, Cambodia has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Since its full independence in 1953, this nation of now 14 million has endured two distinct and lengthy conflicts, and dictatorial regime that – between 1976 and 1979 – annihilated at least 1.5 million Cambodians through execution, forced servitude, and malnourishment. Cambodia is a democracy today, but serious problems remain.

Child sex tourism in Cambodia is a persistent, pervasive practice that threatens the most vulnerable in this developing country. In recent years, the Cambodian National Police, international partners, and a number of non-governmental organizations have worked to crack down on pedophiles from around the world, arresting and prosecuting these criminals while working to rescue and rehabilitate the abused.

I am proud to say that the agency I lead, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is at the forefront of this emerging issue, and aggressively pursues Americans who travel overseas to abuse children. Millions of children fall prey each year to sexual predators, and these young victims are left with permanent psychological, physical, and emotional scars. Many American criminals clearly believe they can evade detection and prosecution by committing child sex crimes overseas. They are wrong.

My visit to Cambodia seeks to strengthen our ongoing cooperation with the Cambodian National Police. Earlier this week, we signed a Letter of Intent to solidify the working relationship between our two law enforcement agencies to combat child sex tourism. This agreement seeks to develop a bi-national, coordinated, and intelligence-driven investigative response to the sexual exploitation of children by U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

There is no more poignant reminder of the critical nature of these investigations than a neighborhood outside Phnom Penh, known simply by its distance from the center of town – “Kilo 11.” There, predators from around the world prey on young boys and girls amidst the shocking poverty of a Cambodian slum. Accompanied by our Cambodian Police partners, we walked down narrow streets and dark alleys where we saw firsthand the extreme circumstances that lead some families to sell their children to these criminals – many of them from Western nations. Not long ago, ICE agents assisted in arresting an American man for abusing a six-year-old child in a ramshackle blue hut, set deep in this labyrinthine neighborhood. This individual was eventually returned to the United States and is currently standing trial for charges stemming from his arrest in Cambodia.

These types of cases are extremely challenging to investigate and prosecute, but we owe it to these young victims to take action. Tragically, many of these children will bear the emotional and physical scars of this trauma for the rest of their lives.

The United States would not be able to successfully prosecute these cases without the assistance of our international partners.

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Today Secretary Napolitano and World Customs Organization Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya joined together in Brussels to announce the results of an unprecedented international law enforcement operation that led to the seizure of more than $3.5 million in smuggled cash over a five day period.

Dubbed Operation ATLAS (Assess, Target, Link, Analyze and Share), this groundbreaking investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from over 80 countries worldwide to target and disrupt cash couriers--people employed by criminal organizations to move their illicit funds across international borders.

Operation ATLAS focused on identifying these illicit cash couriers by employing several different methods to detect cash carried in baggage, on travelers and in shipments aboard commercial flights at designated airports. ATLAS also promoted the sharing of information and intelligence among customs agencies. In the United States, this operation was led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with participation from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and coordinated by the World Customs Organization.

Operation ATLAS is the latest and largest example of how increased international cooperation among law enforcement and customs agencies has resulted in the identification of new smuggling routes and methods used by criminal organizations throughout the world.

In September, ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners in Colombia and Mexico to uncover more than $41 million smuggled in shipping containers bound for Colombia. And in July, an ICE-led multilateral operation targeting cash couriers seized more than $3.5 million and detected an additional $4.2 million in undeclared currency at ports of entry around the globe.

This level of multilateral coordination is truly unprecedented and illustrates how the Department and our international allies are working together to shut down criminal organizations’ old ways of doing business.

John Morton
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Human Trafficking is a crime that isn't limited by the borders of a country or the culture of a society or community. It has ballooned into an organized, international practice that robs men, women, and children of the opportunity to pursue their own potential.

Now, chances are that you don't think you know a family member, friend, or neighbor affected by this criminal behavior. This is not a crime that always happens out in the open; it's not as common a news story in this country as theft or fraud. However, every day individuals are quietly moved or "trafficked" from their homes in other countries - often through deception or coercion - and moved across land borders and bodies of water, where they are forced or even sold into prostitution and servitude. It's not just an international problem, though - trafficking regularly takes place within countries and states. No community is immune to this crime of exploitation, even here in the United States.

The Secretary addressed the issue of Human Trafficking this morning during a discussion with students, faculty, journalists and representatives from government, law enforcement and the NGO community at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen. She sees it as an urgent problem that affects the United States, our international partners, and particularly less developed nations - where much of the trafficking originates.

“Human trafficking is a global problem that requires a global solution.” said Secretary Napolitano. “The United States, Denmark and all our international partners must continue to work together to better identify and dismantle criminal trafficking organizations.”

The Secretary talked about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) role in combating the practice, and particularly ICE's work with the Danish National Police and other international partners to dismantle the infrastructure that helps to facilitate the movement of individuals across borders. ICE also employs more than 300 Victim Assistance Coordinators worldwide who work with non-governmental organizations to help provide long-term assistance efforts.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also manages an international Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the issue.

The Secretary also discussed the public's responsibility. We often talk about our shared responsibility to prepare for disasters, to be alert and vigilant in recognizing potential criminal or terrorist activity, and to protect ourselves and each other from the spread of communicable diseases like the seasonal and H1N1 flu strains. Add this one to that list.

You'd think that human trafficking isn't always visible or noticeable. However, victims of this crime are commonly domestic servants or employees at a "sweat shop." ICE launched a campaign last year called "Hidden in Plain Sight," an initiative designed to raise awareness about this issue in the United States. Individuals who suspect someone is being held against their will should call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Secretary's trip.

From Federal Computer Week, about Secretary Napolitano’s speech on Cybersecurity Month:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has gone online to urge private persons to help bolster the country's cybersecurity.

During a speech broadcast on the Homeland Security Department's Web site Oct. 20, Napolitano described computer security as a major scientific and technical challenge with great economic and national security implications. She said everyday people - not just the government - share the responsibility for cybersecurity.

"It's an opportunity for you as an individual to personally to contribute to our national security," Napolitano said. "Securing your home computer helps you and your family - it also helps your nation in some very important ways."

Napolitano said people should:

Install and activate firewalls for their computers and Internet connection.

Ensure that anti-virus and anti-spyware is installed and up-to-date.

Check computer settings to make sure operating systems and applications are automatically patched.

Avoid suspect Web sites, downloading suspicious documents or attachments, or opening e-mail messages from unknown persons.

Perform regular back ups.

Use strong passwords.

Educate children.

From the Washington Times, on the H1N1 vaccine:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Wednesday morning acknowledged a delay in the distribution of H1N1 vaccine but said the program should be back on schedule around December.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wanted to have 40 million doses shipped by the end of October, but will have roughly 28 million to 30 million.

Ms. Napolitano told CNN before testifying on Capitol Hill that the problem was a manufacturing delay, not a shortage.

"There will be a vaccine for everybody who wants it," she said.

From SC Magazine, on Philip Reitinger's attendance at the RSA Conference in England:

International collaboration and recruitment of experienced people is needed to win the battle against cybercrime.

Speaking at the RSA Conference Europe, the US department of homeland security(DHS) deputy undersecretary of the national protection and programs directorate Philip Reitinger, claimed that the right people are working on battling cybercrime but it needs to be vastly increased.

Reitinger said: “We need developers who work through university who learn to write code. We need to have ethically sound people, people who have a mind for the criminal, make sure that people are used to people's business but have to have the public's interest at heart.

“They need to have a blackhat perspective, and need to do threat modelling. Understanding weaknesses to do a good job of security systems. I think we are trying to invest in the right way.”

From KXO-AM El Centro, CA,on a drug seizure at the Andrade port of entry:

More than 29 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $1 million was seized Tuesday night at the Andrade port of entry.

A drug detection dog assigned to the Yuma Sector Border Patrol alerted to a California registered SUV as it attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Andrade port of entry. Further inspection of the vehicle led to the discovery of a compartment below the floorboards. 29.7 pounds of cocaine was found found hidden in the compartment. The vehicle , drugs and 26-year old woman driver of the SUV were all turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations Deputy Assistant Director Janice Ayala and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Cargo and Conveyance Security Executive Director Todd Owen will testify about cargo threats at land ports of entry before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

The pictures tell the story: Thousands upon thousands of U.S. $20 and $50 bills, crisply stacked and banded into neat packets and carefully tucked away into shipping containers filled with bags of ammonium and sodium sulfate bound for Colombia.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with our law enforcement partners in Colombia, made the initial seizure on September 10 of $11.2 million from a shipment at the port of Buenaventura, Colombia. Subsequent investigation by ICE, Colombian authorities and Mexican authorities revealed additional shipments in Buenaventura and Manzanillo, Mexico, with large amounts of cash hidden inside.

The total is jaw-dropping -- at least $40.5 million and counting, as of this writing -- and it constitutes the largest container bulk cash smuggling seizure in ICE, U.S. and Colombian history. It's an investigative success we might not have achieved without closely collaborating with our counterparts in Mexico and Colombia, and it is a testament to what can be accomplished through this collaboration.

At this point, the investigation has not yet identified the organizations or individuals behind these shipments. However, it is well-established that the two ports in question are key points of a route used for smuggling cocaine northward to Mexico and the United States, and for sending cash back into Colombia. The scheme is believed to have been perpetrated by or on behalf of a major trafficking organization, or organizations, operating in Colombia.

Perhaps most important is what these seized dollars represent. Every illicit dollar we can stop from flowing across the border is one less dollar going to fuel the cartels' operations. It's one less dollar they can use to buy guns, or to pay a corrupt official to look the other way. By targeting the flow of money, we hit the traffickers where it hurts most.

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

It’s one of the most horrific crimes imaginable: The sexual exploitation of children. In recent years, many sex offenders have sought to cover their tracks by traveling overseas, where they hope to conduct their criminal activities far from the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

Today we’re sending a message that they won’t get away with it.

I’m in Los Angeles, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Justice announced that three U.S. citizens, all previously convicted sex offenders, are being returned from Cambodia to the United States, where they will face federal charges for child sex tourism.

Under Operation Twisted Traveler, which launched in February, ICE is working closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and our law enforcement counterparts in Cambodia to identify and arrest Americans engaging in child sex tourism in that Southeast Asia country.

Today’s arrests and charges are the direct result of an extraordinary cooperation between ICE, the Cambodian National Police, the Department of State, and the non-governmental organizations who work in Cambodia to identify suspected sex tourists and rescue victims. Offering vital contributions to the effort are Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), the International Justice Mission, and HAGAR International, three non-governmental organizations that shared valuable information to facilitate these arrests.

The three individuals named today are all alleged to have molested or raped children, some as young as 9 years old, in Cambodia. All have previous records of crimes against children. One of the suspects, a 75-year-old man, is reported to have ridden a motor scooter through the streets of the city of Siem Riep, dropping money behind him as a way to entice children, according to witness reports.

Combating the sexual exploitation of minors has been a leading priority for ICE under Operation Predator. Under this long-running initiative, we’ve arrested more than 11,000 sex offenders—including more than 1,100 outside the United States. Thanks to tougher laws against child sex tourism, we have the tools to target those offenders who travel abroad in the effort to evade capture by law enforcement.

There might have been a time when it was easier for predators to hide their crimes by crossing borders. ICE is leading the effort to ensure that child sex tourism becomes an issue of the past.

John Morton

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

It was a routine stop at the bridge at the Laredo, Texas, border, as an Oklahoma man in a pickup truck was attempting to cross over into Mexico. But a vehicle inspection unveiled much more, as CBP officers discovered a cache of 22 rifles, two shotguns, a 9 mm pistol, ammunition and other weapons parts hidden in the truck.

A subsequent ICE investigation of that failed smuggling attempt led agents to the residence of a former firearms dealer where nearly 1,000 weapons were discovered, along with a large store of ammunition and $30,000 in cash. That routine stop at the Laredo bridge resulted in unraveling a sizable cross-border gun smuggling operation.

It’s exactly the type of investigation that the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) initiative was set up to tackle. This partnership initiative, led at DHS by ICE, brings together federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies under a shared umbrella with a common goal: To target cross-border crime and associated violence.

With collaboration from CBP, the BEST initiative is the Department of Homeland Security’s response to the increase in violence at the southwest border, where the activities of drug cartels, weapons traffickers and other criminal organizations are taking a toll on communities all along the border.

What is most innovative about the BEST initiative is the way in which it brings law enforcement partners together under one roof with a shared mission. This allows for closer working relationships, more efficient communication and improved coordination among the various entities. Cooperation is key to the success of the BEST initiative.

There are now 15 BEST forces operating on the southern and northern U.S. borders, and they’re getting outstanding results. And right now, from August 11 to 13, 2009, we’re taking a closer look at the progress that has been made, as well as plans for the future, at the BEST Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

This conference, the second of its kind, brings together federal law enforcement officials from a variety of agencies; state and local officials; members of Congress and other elected officials; and our partners from Mexico, Canada, Columbia, and Argentina to discuss the challenges of combating the drug trade, money laundering, gang activity, arms trafficking, human smuggling and other types of cross-border crime.

As assistant secretary for ICE, I am at the conference, meeting with our partners in this successful law enforcement venture—and exploring ways in which we can strengthen these partnerships in order to crack down on criminal activity and tighten security at the borders. I’ll post a wrap-up after the conferences concludes.

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement