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Peter EdgeExecutive Associate Director, Homeland Security InvestigationsICE, DHS
FY 16-17: Agency Priority Goal
Combatting Transnational Criminal Organizations
Priority Goal
Goal Overview
Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are self-perpetuating associations of individuals who operate transnationally for the purpose of obtaining power, influence, monetary and/or commercial gains, wholly or in part by illegal means. This is accomplished while protecting their activities through a pattern of corruption and/ or violence, or while protecting their illegal activities through a transnational organizational structure and the exploitation of transnational commerce or communication mechanisms. There is no single structure under which transnational organized criminals operate; they vary from hierarchies to clans, networks, and cells, and may evolve to other structures.
Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO’s) are an adaptive and innovative adversary; they are known to search for new ways to leverage their business model to generate profits and engage in criminal activity - whether it be finding new smuggling routes and methods or entering into new criminal enterprises. TCOs represent a persistent threat to western hemisphere stability, economic prosperity, free trade, and security, because of their control of illicit trade, travel, and finance—by utilizing existing and/or creating new illegal pathways for smuggling throughout the Southern Border and Approaches (SB&A) region. This region extends from the waters off Los Angeles, California, eastward to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and southward to the North Coast of South America. The region includes approximately 2,000 miles of land border with Mexico, 3,050 miles of coastline along California, the Gulf of Mexico, and Florida, as well as the airspace spanning U.S. territorial land and waters, and international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. The greatest criminal threat within this region is posed by TCOs in regional groups in Central and South America and the Caribbean. This threat is based on their ability to generate massive illicit profits, which they have been known to use to suborn public officials and law enforcement, and perpetuate drug-related violence and other crimes, such as kidnappings and extortion.
To more effectively combat the TCO threat, DHS established Joint Task Forces (JTFs) to integrate intelligence, planning, interdiction and investigative efforts across U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and to prioritize and target threat streams operating in the Southern Border and Approaches region, as well as combat TCO activity and splinter organizations present within the U.S. and internationally. DHS will leverage both domestic and international resources and capabilities through intelligence, information sharing, and law enforcement collaboration to weaken and eliminate TCOs who pose the greatest threat to border security, while still facilitating the flow of lawful trade, travel, and commerce across our nation’s borders.
Disrupting and/or dismantling TCOs is a primary outcome of the JTFs and is a result of concentrated, unified actions taken by DHS law enforcement components to identify, target and stop some of the most dangerous and damaging criminal and smuggling operations impacting our Nation’s southern border and approaches regions. Daily actions are taken to counter and degrade threats posed by TCOs, but true disruptions and dismantlements of operations are hard won battles. Disruptions and dismantlements incapacitate threats from targeted TCOs, represent the best and most enduring successes against these criminal organizations, and demonstrate gains to border security made possible through coordinated law enforcement campaigns. Since new threats continuously present themselves, new lists are created throughout each year that targets the highest priority threats.
Strategies
The three DHS task forces will institutionalize unity of effort to target the TCOs that pose the greatest threat to border security. These targeted TCOs are those organizations that are assessed through intelligence, information sharing, and operational input, to present the greatest threat. By prioritizing and targeting TCOs, the JTFs are able to best garner and synchronize DHS resources to combat these threats. In general geographic terms, Joint Task Force East (JTF-E) will be responsible for the Southern maritime border and approaches; Joint Task Force West (JTF-W) will be responsible for the Southern land border and the West Coast; and Joint Task Force Investigations (JTF-I) will focus on criminal investigations in support of the geographic Task Forces. The JTFs will integrate and align intelligence capabilities, prioritize targeted interdiction efforts, strengthen application of investigative, international, prosecutorial and deterrence efforts against TCO enterprises and significant activity adversely impacting the nation.
All JTFs will use the following definitions to guide their activities:
Disruption of a TCO – Actions taken in furtherance of an investigation or interdiction that impede the normal and effective operation of the target organization or targeted criminal activity as they occur, as indicated by changes in the organizational leadership and/or changes in methods of the operation of the target organization or targeted criminal activity.
Dismantlement of a TCO – Destroying the target organization’s leadership, network, and financial base to the point that the organization is incapable of reconstituting itself.
The JTF’s will coordinate, deconflict, and collaborate with intergovernmental partners such as the FBI and DEA, as well as, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies by sharing intelligence and conducting joint operations when necessary to fulfill the goals of the JTFs. Operating collaboratively within their areas of responsibility (AORs), JTFs will prioritize threats impacting their AOR, coordinate operational activities, authorities, and capabilities along with partners and stakeholders in support of this Agency Priority Goal (APG).
The JTFs will lead and coordinate threat-based, targeted operations that focus the efforts of DHS components to secure the southwest border and approaches. To achieve this, they will integrate and align intelligence; institutionalize integrated counter-network operations; prioritize investigative efforts; strengthen international, prosecutorial, and deterrent efforts; and advance the JTFs mission through unified communication and messaging. The JTFs, in coordination with the supporting components, will build the strategic framework for the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan’s success within the JTF Joint Operating Areas (JOAs). This will ensure consequence application to priority targets; effective risk-based allocation of DHS resources and personnel; comprehensive southwest border common operating picture development; strategic communications that address threat streams and provide employee awareness; and, enhanced support from an interdisciplinary approach (including, as appropriate, International, Military, State, Local and Tribal partners).
The JTFs will work with existing command and control structures to align priorities and objectives to achieve unity of efforts across the JTF JOAs. The JTFs will:
• Institutionalize unity of effort;
• Identify strategic objectives to be accomplished by existing DHS structures through integrated operational planning and execution;
• Coordinate intelligence, interdiction, and investigative efforts of supporting components;
• Frame and focus operational efforts on key objectives by working with supporting components to prioritize threats and provide a synchronized response;
• Coordinate with appropriate department and supporting component representatives through pre-established protocols for optimization of assets.
Progress Update
The Joint Task Forces (JTFs) continued to use operational plans to focus on disrupting and dismantling targeted TCOs, advancing progress in implementing the DHS Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan. The JTFs demonstrated the ability to conduct integrated joint investigations and operations within their joint operating areas or functions, supported by DHS operational components. Coordination mechanisms to share intelligence with JTF-Investigations, JTF-West and JTF-East ensure unity of effort and consequence application against TCOs who pose the greatest threat to border security. In addition to planning and executing several highly successful operations during FY 2016, all three JTFs received Component validation and Secretary approval for their operational priorities that they will continue to follow into FY 2017.
JTF-West continued their priority efforts to integrate intelligence, planning, interdiction, and investigative activities beyond traditional DHS component operational capabilities and the immediate border. JTF-West demonstrated the ability of leveraging the full spectrum of DHS intelligence, interdiction and investigative efforts which has maximized consequence application to illicit network members attempting to exploit operational seams, prosecutorial thresholds and those abusing current immigration benefits. JTF-West implemented and executed four fiscal year-wide operations, along with a separate 35-day operation “ALL IN” which was not part of JTF-West’s originally planned operations, but directly supported the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan (SBACP) objectives.
JTF-East implemented a Regional Coordinating Guide (RCG) in the East Caribbean Joint Operating Area that fused together eight component operations to maximize performance and reduce redundancy. The Eastern Caribbean Regional Integrating Group (ECRIG) continued to bear results through the RCG for components to collaborate and disrupt migrant smuggling networks. ECRIG’s coordinated effort resulted in the execution of one joint operation and four arrests linked to a TCO. JTF-East coordinated the intelligence consolidation efforts to produce intelligence assessments and address current threats in Puerto Rico and Bahamas. This sustained migrant detection and interdiction capabilities en route to the United States via Caribbean and Central American pathways. During this quarter, JTF-East has also increased its engagement with Department of Defense commands through staff meetings and collaborative operational planning events.
JTF-Investigations, in coordination with several Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Attaché offices, executed enforcement actions that resulted in the criminal arrest of an identified TCO cell leader and 33 other members of a broader group of smuggling networks. This multinational effort occurred under HSI’s Operation Citadel, a multinational effort that focuses on increasing partner nation capacity to identify, disrupt, and dismantle TCOs, and other support networks involved in human smuggling throughout South and Central America, and Mexico. A second, significant effort was the Homeland Criminal Organization Targeting (HOMECORT) Process, a Southern Border and Approaches Campaign investigations prioritization process, led by JTF-Investigations, to counter the top transnational criminal networks impacting the national security of the homeland. With this comprehensive criminal network analysis and national case coordination effort, JTF-Investigations achieved great success, to include arrests of significant TCO leaders.
Next Steps
The Joint Task Forces (JTFs) will work together to solidify unity of effort towards disruption and dismantlement of prioritized Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) targets operating in the Southern Border and Approaches. This will be accomplished through the development and execution of action plans to disrupt and dismantle TCOs that impact the JTF’s Joint Area of Operations.
• JTF-West will prioritize actions against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and their associated illicit networks across the JTF-West Joint Operational Area (JOA).
• JTF-West will execute integrated counter network operations intended to target the priority illicit networks’ infrastructure, logistics, communications and financial capabilities/capacities.
• JTF-East will support Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) to assess the capability gaps for Operation Caribbean Guard and advocate obtaining additional assets.
• JTF-East will assist the Central Caribbean Regional Integrating Group to develop a CBIG-like structure and Regional Coordinating Guides for overarching operations.
• JTF-East will continue to engage with the Gulf Regional Integrating Group and work jointly with JTF-West to share information for Gulf region operations.
• JTF-East will support maritime bulk cash tracking through intelligence sharing. The multi-component initiative will increase an awareness and disruption of maritime illicit financial flows.
• JTF-Investigations, in coordination with JTF-West and JTF-East, will continue to focus their efforts on the top five HOMECORT cases and will continue to support JTFs East and West by supporting investigations of targeted TCOs.
Expand All
Performance Indicators
Percent of transnational criminal organizations targeted by the Joint Task Forces that are disrupted or dismantled
Total amount of currency and/or monetary instruments seized
Pounds of drugs seized linked to transnational criminal organizations targeted by the Joint Task Forces
Number of criminal arrests linked to transnational criminal organizations targeted by the Joint Task Forces
Number of JTF operations executed against transnational criminal organizations targeted by the Joint Task Forces
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
JTF-I is one of three Joint Task Forces (JTFs) established by the Secretary of DHS secure the Southern Border and Approaches (SBA) and increase unity of effort across the Department. JTF-I will focus on criminal investigations in support of the geographic Task Forces. A core function for JFT-I is leading the Homeland Criminal Organization and Network Target (HOMECORT) prioritization process. HOMECORT focuses on criminal networks violating laws that DHS components have primary authority to enforce; for example, human smuggling, illicit trade and fraudulent travel. JTF-I’s role in the HOMECORT process consists of compiling potential HOMECORT candidates, preparing HOMECORT nomination packages for the selection board, maintaining the HOMECORT priority list, leading the analysis of criminal networks, managing the development, approval and execution of HOMECORT Action Plans, and evaluating attainment of desired outcomes.
Joint Task Force Investigations (JTF-I) will also focus on criminal investigations in support of the geographic Task Forces of JTF-W and JTF-E.
JTF-W is one of three Joint Task Forces (JTFs) established by the Secretary of DHS secure the Southern Border and Approaches (SBA) and increase unity of effort across the Department. JTF-W is responsible to coordinating efforts to secure air, maritime, and land border domains and approaches to the Southern Border of the United States of America. JTF-W integrates intelligence, interdiction, and investigative efforts to accomplish the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan (SBACP) strategic objectives. JTF-W works with DHS components and interagency partners to prioritize threat streams impacting the Southern Border enabling corridors and components to conduct targeted operations that create an environment where TCOs are disrupted, degraded, and dismantled without impeding the flow of lawful trade, travel, and commerce.
JTF-W’s joint operating area includes the land border with Mexico from California to the Gulf of Mexico and the land approaches to this border, the littorals in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas and Pacific off California, and the airspace spanning U.S. territorial land and waters.
JTF-E is one of three Joint Task Forces established by the Secretary of DHS to secure the Southern Border and Approaches (SBA) and increase unity of effort across the Department. Towards that end, JTF-E, in concert with JTF-West and JTF-Investigations, leads and coordinates operational priorities to synchronize capabilities to accomplish the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Plan (SBACP) strategic objectives. JTF-E works with components and interagency partners to foster unified intelligence and investigative efforts to prioritize and support targeted operations to identify, disrupt, degrade, and dismantle TCOs operating in the maritime, air, ~~and land domains.
JTF-E’s joint operating area includes Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the coastline along the Gulf of Mexico and Florida (excluding the littorals under JTF-W control), international waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean southward to the North Coast of South America, the airspace spanning U.S. territorial land and waters, and international airspace in the approaches.
HSI is responsible for disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal threats facing the United States. HSI uses its legal authorities to investigate immigration and customs violations such as human rights violations; narcotics; weapons smuggling and the smuggling of other types of contraband; financial crimes; cyber crimes; human trafficking; child pornography; intellectual property violations; commercial fraud; export violations; and identity and benefit fraud. HSI special agents also conduct national security investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure vulnerable to sabotage, attack, or exploitation. As the main component in JTF-I, HSI will utilize its full investigative portfolio to address the most significant threats.
CBP operational components – primarily the US Border Patrol, Office of Air and Marine, and Office of Intelligence -- play an active role in protecting the Nation’s borders from illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband with its risk-based strategy to prioritize capabilities against the highest threats. This strategy includes close collaboration with our law enforcement partners to target transnational criminal organizations that control most cross-border trafficking in illegal drugs and other contraband, as well as an increasing percentage of human smuggling.
The Maritime Law Enforcement program preserves America’s sovereignty within our maritime borders through the detection, deterrence and suppression of violations of U.S. federal law on, under and over the high seas. The Coast Guard is the lead U.S. federal maritime law enforcement agency and utilizes its authorities and capabilities to enforce national and international law on the high seas, outer continental shelf, and inward from the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to inland waters.
Federal Law Enforcement partners and Intelligence Community will join, assist, and collaborate when necessary on the JTF mission set through their authorities, resources, or information sharing.
State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners will assist when called upon to ‘wall off’ investigations and enforcement efforts to protect either ongoing undercover operations or confidential informants.
No Data Available
