crown capital management international relations International Affairs

The Office of International Affairs, housed within ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, enhances national security by conducting and coordinating investigations involving transnational criminal organizations and serving as the agency's liaison to counterparts in local government and law enforcement. The office protects America's borders and enhances national security and public safety by investigating, disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that engage in all types of smuggling. This includes narcotics, money, weapons, sensitive technologies, as well as the smuggling and trafficking of human beings.

The Office of International Affairs also investigates the criminal threats that transnational criminal organizations pose to America's legitimate commercial trade, travel and financial systems through trade fraud and intellectual property theft; the diversion of military weapons, munitions and sensitive technologies; international money laundering and financial fraud; immigration fraud; forced child labor; and child sex tourism and the sexual exploitation of children.

The HSI Bulk Cash Smuggling Center identifies, investigates and disrupts bulk cash smuggling activities around the world and trains local law enforcement partners on investigative techniques. Bulk Cash Smuggling

Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Returning a nation's looted cultural heritage or stolen artwork promotes goodwill with foreign governments and citizens while protecting the world's cultural heritage and knowledge of past civilizations. Federal importation laws give HSI the authority to lead investigations involving the illicit importation and distribution of cultural property, art and antiquities. The Office of International Affairs leads the execution of many of these investigations through specially-trained, internationally-assigned investigators who coordinate with private institutions and foreign governments, in addition to domestic HSI investigators' coordination with federal, state, and local agencies.

Cyber Crimes Center The Cyber Crimes Center brings together HSI special agents, intelligence research specialists and others who support HSI crime investigations tied to the Internet. The center integrates the full range of HSI computer and forensic assets in a single location and has three operational components, focusing on child exploitation, computer forensics and other cybercrime.

This HSI task force is dedicated to locating individuals who were members of foreign governments or financial industries that have fled to the United States and their ill-gotten funds. In most cases, recovered assets are repatriated to the foreign countries through asset sharing agreements. Foreign Political Corruption Task Force

Foreign Fugitives Foreign fugitives are individuals wanted in other countries, for any crime, who have violated immigration law in order to be in the United States. In cases where the subject is already in removal proceedings or has no status in the United States, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has the case authority.

Forensic Document Laboratory HSI's Forensic Document Laboratory provides a broad range of forensic, intelligence and investigative support services for ICE, DHS and many other U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies. This laboratory is accredited as a crime laboratory.

Human Smuggling & Trafficking Center The Human Smuggling & Trafficking Center is an HSI-led multi-agency effort that seeks to bridge the gap between the intelligence community and law enforcement regarding information and intelligence related to human smuggling and trafficking. Additionally, the center seeks to identify priority subjects for human smuggling and trafficking investigations and build case support information for investigations into them.

Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center The Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center is an HSI-led task force made up of 21 federal agencies with a vested interest in intellectual property enforcement. Member agencies share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and present a "one-stop shop" for U.S. expertise and contacts on intellectual property crimes and enforcement of intellectual property rights for businesses.

International Agreements and Arrangements Program In collaboration with ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor and other DHS and U.S. government agencies, this program, which is housed within the Office of International Affairs, manages the process of drafting, negotiating and concluding international agreements and arrangements that support HSI's investigative mission, including customs mutual assistance agreements, letters of intent, memoranda of cooperation and memoranda of understanding.

International Visitors Program The Office of International Affairs cultivates and maintains important contacts with foreign counterparts through this program. These visits facilitate the exchange of information and strengthen professional relationships with international law enforcement agencies and senior government officials resulting in more successful HSI investigations abroad. Ultimately, the opportunity to address key border and investigative issues aids HSI and our allies in the joint efforts to promote security worldwide.

Law Enforcement Paroles In support of law enforcement activities – usually to testify or in support of investigative activity, HSI paroles individuals into the United States who would otherwise be ineligible for a visa or entry into the United States. The program is tightly controlled through central points of contact throughout law enforcement agencies.

Personnel Recovery Unit The Office of International Affair's Personnel Recovery Unit focuses on four areas of responsibility to enable ICE employees and their family members to prepare for, prevent, respond to and survive isolating events overseas. These areas include: Program Management and Communications; Operations Support; Training and Equipment; and Analysis and Reporting.

Repatriation ERO coordinates with HSI in the repatriation process to ensure that other countries accept the return of their nationals in accordance with international law. ERO also coordinates with HSI and host countries to implement tools and procedures to expedite the return process.

Trade Transparency Unit HSI, in cooperation with the Departments of State and Treasury, established this initiative to protect the integrity and security of the U.S. economy by targeting and eliminating systemic vulnerabilities in commercial trade and in the financial and transportation sectors, which are susceptible to exploitation by criminal and terrorist organizations.