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Border Enforcement Security Task Force Reports '2f,b,7 4Noa9; 2015-1CF0-72582 1 of 209 0111(( rij I (c?Ooln( 111(Ho I'S. Department of I lomeland Securit‘ \ ,o.litoLlon I)( 20s 8 Homeland Security May 8,2014 Foreword On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), I am pleased to submit the following report, "Border Enforcement Security Task Force," which was prepared by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This report is the initial report compiled pursuant to the Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act (Public Law112-205), which President Barack H. Obama signed on December 7,2012. Pursuant to statutory requirements, this report is being provided to the following Members of Congress: The Honorable Michael T. McCaul Chairman, House Committee on Homeland Security The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson Ranking Member, House Committee on Homeland Security The Honorable Thomas R. Carper Chairman, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs The Honorable Tom Coburn Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Inquiries related to this report may be directed to me at (202) 447 Sincerely, 044.744A Brian de Valiance Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs 2015-1CF0-72582 2 of 209 Executive Summary Border-related crime and the violence that is often associated with it pose significant risks to public safety and the national security of the United States. In response, DI-IS---along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners—remains committed to disrupting border- related criminal activity related to narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, weapons trafficking, and other serious crimes. In 2005, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners to create a Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) in Laredo, Texas. The success of this task force led to it being recognized as a model program for leveraging federal state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement and intelligence efforts against transnational criminal organizations (TC0s) and enhancing border security. As DHS's "executive agent" for the development and management of the BEST program, HSI has led a collaborative campaign to establish and administer these investigative task forces in locations most affected by transnational crime. BEST units employ a threat-based risk-mitigating investigative task force model that acknowledges the unique resources and abilities of all participating law enforcement partners. This partnership enables each BEST unit to apply a comprehensive approach to combating TC0s, while appreciating the distinctive circumstances and threats faced in various border environs. There are currently 34 BEST units located across I 6 states and Puerto Rico. Since their inception, BEST units have produced a remarkable record of success, having collectively initiated more than 8,800 cases that resulted in approximately 10,450 criminal arrests and the seizure of more than 94,300 pounds of cocaine, 14,300 weapons, and $108.8 million in U.S. currency. On December 7, 2012, the Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act was signed into law. This law amends the Howland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a BEST program; to direct the assignment of federal personnel to the program; and to undertake other actions to aid federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in participating in such task forces. The law also recognizes the importance of our international law enforcement partners in the BEST program. II 2015-1CF0-72582 3 of 209 Border Enforcement Security Task Force Initial Report Table of Contents I. Legislative Requirement II. Introduction 2 III Building the Program 4 A. Mission 4 B. Vision 4 C. Best Practices 6 IV Meeting the BEST Program's Strategic Objectives 8 A. Prioritize Resources and Effort 8 B. Engage the Full Host of Resources in the Fight Against TCOs 8 C. Leverage DHS's Robust Law Enforcement Grants 8 V. Enhancing Border Security IC A. Drug Trafficking 10 B. Arms Trafficking 11 B. Human Trafficking and Smuggling 12 C. Panga Boats 13 D. Border Violence 14 E. Kidnapping Along and Across the International Borders of the United States 16 VI. Conclusion 17 Appendices 18 BEST Unit Locations by State/Territory 18 Participating Agencies 19 BEST Unit Annexes 21 111 2015-1CF0-72582 4 of 209 I. Legislative Requirement On December 7,2012, President Obama signed into law the Jo/me Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) Act (Pt. 112-205).1 The law was named in memory of Jaime Zapata, an HSI Special Agent assigned to a BEST unit who died on February 15,2011, after being shot while on duty in Mexico. This law amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to formally establish the BEST program within DHS and authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to direct the assignment of federal personnel to the program, as well as take other actions to aid federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in participating in such task forces. This statute provides, in pertinent part: Not later than 180 days after the date on which BEST is established under this section, and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that describes the effectiveness of BEST in enhancing border security and reducing the drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the international borders of the United States, as measured by crime statistics, including violent deaths, incidents of violence, and drug- related arrests. Cued. as the .1a le Zapata Border EnforcementTask Force Act. P.L. 112 20.5,126 Stat. 1488 (6 U.S.C. § 240). 1 2015-1CF0-72582 5 of 209 II. Introduction As the largest investigative entity within DHS, ICE HSI is charged with enforcing a wide array of statutes, including those related to securing the border and combating transnational criminal activities. ICE HSI has partnered with federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement counterparts to create a BEST initiative, which takes a comprehensive approach to identifying, disruptinv, and dismantling criminal organizations that pose significant threats to our border security. BEST units incorporate personnel from ICE; CBP; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the United States Coast Guard (USCG); the U.S. Attorney's Office (USA0); and more than 100 key federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies. BEST units also coordinate closely with other analytic, investigative, and information sharing entities, including High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (0CDETEs), state and major urban area fusion centers, and Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTEs). BEST units are designed to increase information sharing and collaboration among these partners as they combat those criminal organizations who pose significant threats to our nation's borders.. The guiding principle of BEST activities is to collocate and designate partner law enforcement officers (LEDs) with customs authority under 19 U.S.C. § 1401(t), to leverage agency successes in intelligence and interdiction into a comprehensive investigation of border-related crimes. This designation is often referred to colloquially as "cross-designation," because the designated LEO is already empowered with the authorities granted by their home agency. Cross-designation enhances the ability of BEST units to support multiple complex criminal investigations. BEST units proactively use such actionable intelligence and investigative leads in a risk-based approach to target, intercept, and disrupt the illicit activity of the TCOs that pose the highest risk to public safety and national security through their exploitation of our border security vulnerabilities. As the BEST initiative has grown, it has evolved to include the critical participation of our Mexican law enforcement partners along our southwest border and with Canadian law enforcement agencies along our northern border. These agencies have been instrumental in aiding the collection and analysis of criminal intelligence. They also cooperate in investigations to identify and dismantle cross-border smuggling organizations. 2 2015-1CF0-72582 6 of 209 These efforts prove the vision of the BESTprogram o eliminate the lines between federal, state, and local investigations; toclose the gap with our international partners in investigating complex multinational TC0s; and to create an environment that removes the border vulnerabilities that TCOs have traditionally exploited in the past. To date, a total of 34 BEST units have been initiated across 16 states and in Puerto Rico. These units are comprised of more than 750 members who represent more than 100 law enforcement agencies that have jointly committed to investigate transnational criminal activity along the southwest and northern borders and at our nation's major seaports. Due to the unavailability of national databases that detail reportable immigration and customs reportable offenses„ we are not able to report on the effectiveness of BEST in enhancing border security and reducing crime specifically along the international borders of the United States. Rather,
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