Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency or “I.C.E.” is the department responsible to monitor and enforce immigration laws in the United States. This agency deals with a variety of issues ranging from human trafficking, drug trafficking and international student visa violations. Due to the large influx of issues that this agency must investigate regularly it is divided into sub sections that deal with particular crimes.

One of the most prevalent groups within this agency is the Homeland Security Investigations or H.S.I. which is responsible for crimes of severity like human trafficking and child pornography. The individuals that serve in this agency are true American and world heroes for the actions they engage in daily to make the world a safer place for everyone.

In recent sweeps during Operation Predator, members from ICE and HSI have shut down rings of individuals involved in human trafficking, child pornography, sex tourism and online predators both internationally and nationally. Unfortunately with the advancements of society there are demented individuals who take advantage of other humans for financial gain and it is essential for international organizations to step in to maintain order for crimes that can occur across foreign countries borders.

Another task that is assigned to the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency is protecting America’s military and defense secrets from being transmitted to individuals in other countries. These investigations are referred to as “counter-proliferation investigations” and typically involve the exporting of materials that can be used to make weapons of mass destruction, biological or chemical weapons, military hardware, controlled technology and firearms across country borders. In order to shut down these rings of individuals who pose a threat on national security it is essential for ICE HSI to work well with other law enforcement and federal agencies to acquire the proper resources to take action.

Throughout 2011 over 1,878 counter-proliferation investigations were conducted pertaining to United States nation defense. During these investigations ICE HSI was responsible for 625 arrests, 460 indictments and 289 criminal convictions as well as 1,244 seizures of controlled materials related to national defense.

Drug Trafficking:
Drug trafficking is a criminal activity that involves the production, manufacturing and transportation of narcotics across country borders. This is an important battle for our law enforcement officers to combat as it involves bringing dangerous chemicals and materials into the United States but it is also known to increase other crimes such as burglary, homicide and firearms violations in associated areas.

The primary focus of concern for the United States drug trafficking investigations are coming from the rampant cartels in Mexico that are causing chaos in the border towns of both Mexico and the United States. Another location that many Americans do not frequently hear about is narcotics coming from Afghanistan to the United States. Afghanistan is one of the biggest producers of poppy plants which derive the components for opium and heroin. This is a particular troubling region as the proceeds from these narcotic sales are used to fund violence against American soldiers and interests worldwide.

Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking typically pertains to the sex trade and prostitution undergrounds throughout the world. Almost every country in the world faces problems with human trafficking although the circumstances are often drastically different. On the Mexican-American border human trafficking is commonly used to bring migrant workers and their families into the United States. These individuals are referred to as “coyotes” for their roles in smuggling groups of individuals across the vast desert to arrive safely in the United States.

Human trafficking and the sex industry are rampant in parts of Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. This crime goes hand in hand with large scale government corruption and often relies on paying off government officials to remain in operation within the countries affected. This crime in particular is responsible for the necessity of investigators to work closely with foreign governments in order to effectively shut down these rings of degenerates.

Firearms Trafficking:
Trafficking firearms is commonly referred to as “gun running” and typically involves groups of individuals that want to arm themselves with the intention of overthrowing a government of engaging in terror related activities. Russia is one of the leading nations involved in this crime due to the vast surplus of reliable weapons that were produced during the cold war era. This is combined with the fall of the Soviet Union and rampant corruption in the Russian government and military which allowed these weapons to be stored without auditing.

Law Enforcement Prevention:
Although the United States is the victim of international criminal activities on a daily basis we have some of the most dedicated and skilled individuals in the world working around the clock to prevent and minimize these activities. It is common knowledge that these crimes will most likely never cease but our government agencies are constantly refining their standards, procedures, and legislation to combat these as effectively as possible.

Our law enforcement agencies always encourage the assistance of the public in their investigations and are always willing to receive tips on suspicious activities. For more information on most wanted lists and who to report suspicious immigrations and customs violations to please refer to the ICE homepage.

Immigration Bonds:
On the other side, if you know someone who has been arrested on immigration violations the best option is to find an immigration bail bonds agency that can assist in securing a defendant’s releasing pending the outcome of the trial. This service assists in providing a fair trial for the defendant who is presumed innocent until proven guilty.