WASHINGTON – Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), together with different regulation enforcement companions from throughout the nation, was acknowledged by the White Home Workplace of Nationwide Drug Management Coverage (ONDCP) at america Interdiction Committee (USIC) Awards, July 21. The awards acknowledge regulation enforcement companions for his or her work disrupting the move of illicit narcotics and strengthening the nation’s response to the overdose epidemic via multi-jurisdictional collaboration.
“Our unimaginable HSI particular brokers play an instrumental position within the detection, disruption, and dismantling of people and legal networks engaged in transnational narcotics smuggling and trafficking,” stated appearing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director P.J. Lechleitner. “I’m proud to acknowledge our devoted professionals and honored to companion with ONDCP – we’ll proceed to work tirelessly to contribute to whole-of-government efforts that take down these engaged in these crimes and maintain international communities protected.”
Awardees from throughout america had been chosen from a listing of greater than 100 highly-qualified nominees; the work of those businesses and people helps advance the administration’s National Drug Control Strategy. HSI and its area workplaces acquired 4 of the 9 awards for calendar 12 months 2021 together with:
- Main Marketing campaign and Strategic Planning: The regulation enforcement partnership between HSI Seattle Excessive Depth Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Activity Pressure and Seattle Police Division sustained a marketing campaign to disrupt transnational legal organizations (TCOs) engaged within the manufacture and distribution of artificial opioids and counterfeit prescribed drugs.
- Detection and Monitoring: HSI Memphis focused the legal provide chains of a number of legal organizations and seized kilogram portions of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.
- Interdiction and Intelligence Help: HSI New York Darkish Net and Cryptocurrency Activity Pressure efficiently focused illicit actors that utilized the darkish internet to conduct and conceal legal exercise. In 2021, this unit arrested a dozen suspects and seized firearms, cocaine, fentanyl, and greater than $1.5 million in illicit proceeds.
- Particular Recognition/Counter-Narcotics Pressure Allows: HSI Worldwide Operations focused the availability chains of TCOs all through South and Central America.
The Safer America Plan is a proposal geared toward protecting communities and lives protected. The plan proposes imposing harder penalties for fentanyl trafficking; investing in providers like psychological well being and substance use dysfunction to scale back burdens on regulation enforcement to allow them to deal with violent crimes; guaranteeing individuals in legal justice settings have entry to therapy; and ending sentencing disparities on crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Learn the actual fact sheet for the plan online.
Concerning the Award Program
The ONDCP USIC Award Program was established in 2003 to acknowledge the superior efforts and achievements of businesses and people on the frontlines of drug interdiction. This program has developed to acknowledge people and items (groups) throughout the interagency who’ve excelled in addressing illicit drug trafficking an everchanging, dynamic drug surroundings. The award classes and choice standards embody all the interdiction continuum.
About Homeland Safety Investigations
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), answerable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these legal organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure via which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 workers consists of greater than 6,800 particular brokers assigned to 225 cities all through america, and 86 abroad areas in 55 nations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative regulation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. regulation enforcement.