STATEMENT

OF

MARISA R. LINO

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

BEFORE

THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

ON

FEBRUARY 7, 2008

Chairman Engel, Ranking Member Burton, and Members of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere: I thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today and describe the Department of Homeland Security’s vision for security cooperation with Mexico and Central America as well as what we are doing in the United States to support this vision.

As Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at DHS, it is my job to understand the relationships between countries on matters of security, and, in particular, that between the United States and its closest neighbors in this hemisphere. To protect the homeland requires us to engage our foreign partners on issues of mutual concern.

The Department of Homeland Security fully supports the Merida Initiative, and what we as a government are trying to accomplish through this security cooperation initiative. Merida offers us an unprecedented opportunity to work closely with the Calderon Administration in Mexico and with our partners in Central America to enhance U.S. security interests, as well as those of our southern neighbors.

Working with the Mexicans and Central Americans on a regional basis will have a multiplier effect on capabilities and help us over the long term develop sustainable security partnerships throughout the region. DHS sees the Merida Initiative as an opportunity to more fully engage our Mexican and Central American counterparts to address threats common to all as well as threats to the U.S. homeland. It is only through each nation working both domestically and in collaboration with others that we are able to more effectively tackle the trans-border crime and violence plaguing us all.

We must also continue to build a unified set of our own capabilities here at home to manage the risk to the people of the United States. We must enhance cooperation both north and south, working to counter those threats of a cross-border nature, whether organized crime trafficking people, drugs, arms or terrorists seeking to infiltrate our country with the capability and intent to cause real harm to the U.S., its people and its economy.

The Department of Homeland Security has an “all threats” approach to the security of the United States. Our personnel work diligently to counter domestic as well as international threats. It is with much pride and respect for my colleagues at DHS that I share with you today some of what DHS is doing on the domestic front to combat those security concerns also identified via Merida.

The efforts of our neighbors – in this instance, Mexico and Central America -- have a direct impact on the security of the United States. The Department of Homeland Security is eager to do more in this hemisphere with our southern neighbors because we believe the return will be significant in terms of enhancing security for all. “Opening the door” with some of these programs will allow us to solidify our working relationships and expand our engagement and cooperation in a region vital to our security interests. It provides us the opportunity to amplify our domestic efforts significantly.

Let me highlight a few programs from our ongoing collaboration with Mexico to demonstrate how cooperation with our neighbors is key to the security of the United States and how our obligations under Merida will strengthen our own security as well as bolster Mexico’s capacities to do the same on both its northern and southern borders. These programs work to counter the many security challenges our country faces: from drug running to possible terrorist threats; from human trafficking to gang activities; and from bulk cash smuggling to arms trafficking.

Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST)

The Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) program was proposed in 2005 as the Department of Homeland Security’s approach to combat cross-border criminal activity and violence along our southern border with Mexico. In 2006, Secretary Chertoff adopted the BEST initiative to bring together federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement resources in an effort to identify, disrupt, and dismantle organizations seeking to exploit vulnerabilities along the southern border and threaten the overall safety and security of the American public. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and DHS’ Intelligence and Analysis Directorate personnel work cooperatively with other law enforcement entities to take a comprehensive approach towards combating criminal organizations involved in cross-border crimes. One of the primary missions of the BESTs is to prevent the illegal exportation of firearms from the United States into Mexico, a particular concern of the Mexican government. The government of Mexico agreed to assign full-time representatives to each of the BESTs.

The BEST program is one of our most highly successful southern border law enforcement programs. In an effort to stem the flow of weapons being smuggled illegally into Mexico, ICE is utilizing the investigative strengths of both the U.S. and Mexican representatives to the BESTs to identify and prosecute those who would seek to illegally export weapons to Mexico, which also supports the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their mission.

Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security (OASISS)

Since August 2005, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has worked closely with Mexican officials in a bilateral alien smuggler prosecutions program called Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security (OASISS). OASISS is a joint initiative between the U.S. and Mexico that enables Mexican courts to prosecute smugglers for crimes committed in the border region. Through OASISS, both governments are able to track and record prosecution efforts on both sides of the border. The intent of the program is to target alien smugglers and human traffickers operating in the immediate border region. The OASISS program has had a significant and positive impact on operations, and furthering smuggling investigations both in the United States and Mexico. Due to current expansion and awareness of the OASISS program, the number of alien smuggling cases generated from Fiscal Year 2006 to Fiscal Year 2007 decreased 12%, as well as the number of smugglers prosecuted, which also decreased 70% during the same time period.  This decrease is a direct reflection of the success of the OASISS program as a tool to prevent and, especially, to deter human smuggling along the southwest border. The Merida Initiative proposal for Fiscal Year 2008 supplemental funding would further expand OASISS to more locations along the border, with the final goal being full coverage from Baja, California to the state of Tamaulipas. Future plans include the possibility of expanding the OASISS program to Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala.

Bulk Cash Smuggling into Mexico

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a number of programs to address the problem of bulk cash smuggling. One of these, “Operation Firewall,” addresses the threat of bulk cash smuggling via commercial and private passenger vehicles, commercial airline shipments, airline passengers, and pedestrians transiting to Mexico along the southern border. ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have conducted various Operation Firewall operations with Mexican Customs and the Mexican Money Laundering Vetted Unit. ICE plans to expand existing Operation Firewall operations to include additional border crossing locations along the southern border with Mexico. All significant Operation Firewall seizures result in criminal investigations with the goal of identifying the source of the funds and the responsible organizations.

ICE is also establishing a Trade Transparency Unit (TTU) with Mexico. The mission of the TTU is to identify cross-border trade anomalies, which are indicative of trade-based money laundering. Under this initiative, ICE and law enforcement agencies in cooperating countries establish TTUs to facilitate the exchange of import/export data and financial information. The establishment of a TTU with Mexico is currently underway. ICE will provide Mexico TTU representatives with an in-depth training on the Data Analysis and Research for Trade Transparency System (DARTTS). ICE will also install the system, and provide expert technical support. Once fully trained, Mexican TTU representatives will be able to use trade data to develop criminal targets involved in crimes such as tax evasion, customs fraud, and trade-based money laundering. The establishment of a Trade Transparency Unit (TTU) in Mexico City will benefit both Mexico and the United States in their efforts to combat criminal organizations.

Firearms Trafficking

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have developed a joint strategy aimed at identifying and disrupting the illicit cross border trafficking of firearms and ammunition. ATF, ICE and CBP agree upon broad principles as part of an interagency strategy to identify, investigate, and interdict the illicit cross-border trafficking of firearms and ammunition into Mexico. Discussions are ongoing to address more detailed procedures regarding the coordination of multi-agency operations and information sharing. ATF has established the Southwest Border Gun Center in the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), which serves as a central repository for firearms-related information and intelligence.

ICE’s Weapons Smuggling Initiative seeks to identify, dismantle and disrupt transnational criminal networks responsible for smuggling illegal weapons and ammunition from the United States into Mexico, posing a threat to the overall safety and security of both countries. The initiative incorporates an investigative response by a vetted investigative unit to weapons seizures at Mexican ports of entry, as well as investigation of related border security vulnerabilities. In addition, ICE works in conjunction with CBP to facilitate interdiction enforcement operations based on intelligence generated through this bilateral initiative.

The programs mentioned demonstrate the Department of Homeland Security’s “all threats” approach to security and law enforcement and show how integral these efforts are to the safety and security of the United States. The programs demonstrate how DHS – by partnering with local, state, and tribal officials as well as with foreign governments – is working to keep America a safer place from terrorism. This is a prime example of how our domestic actions, when coupled with the domestic actions of Mexico and the countries of Central America – as well as the joint actions we hope to embark on under the Merida Initiative – create a unified effort in the fight against transnational organized crime.

Bilateral Strategic Plan

In August 2007, Mexican Customs, ICE, and CBP signed a Bilateral Strategic Plan to fight trans-border crime. The Bilateral Strategic Plan strengthens cooperation in matters related to law enforcement by expanding existing institutional cooperation mechanisms and establishing new programs of collaboration designed to fight trafficking and smuggling of prohibited goods, fraud, and related crimes. The Plan establishes four working groups addressing capacity building, border management, customs security and law enforcement. All four working groups were formally launched in November 2007. The working groups will expand on existing cooperation to coordinate and implement joint security initiatives, efficient border management, integrity and capacity building assistance and joint enforcement and interdiction initiatives. The goal of these efforts is to enhance the security of our southern border with Mexico.

Border Violence Protocols (BVP)

On March 3, 2006, a bi-national action plan to combat border violence and improve public safety was signed by Secretary Chertoff and his counterpart in Mexico. This action plan set forth goals and objectives to ensure the appropriate law enforcement agencies of the respective governments would work together to provide an effective comprehensive joint response to incidents of cross-border violence and crime. In response to this plan, CBP created a headquarters bi-national working group to oversee the development and implementation of Border Violence Protocols (BVP) along the southwest border. These protocols serve as a mechanism to facilitate operational response to incidents, with CBP, ICE and their Mexican counterparts coordinating together. The US government and the Mexican government have incorporated state and local police activities into the protocols. The Border Violence Protocols have now been instituted along the entire US-Mexico border and are working efficiently and effectively. The Border Violence Protocols are another example of how the United States and Mexico are working closely together to create a safer and more secure border region. 

Global Trafficking in Persons

ICE is also working to combat human trafficking by applying its expertise to counter this humanitarian and security problem.  Organized syndicates exploit the vulnerability of the human condition to turn a profit.  This crime is not limited by our borders, as many of the victims are forced to work in brothels and other nefarious businesses throughout our country.

The President’s $50 Million Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Initiative was established in 2003 to assist foreign countries in combating trafficking in persons. The TIP Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG) identified eight countries to receive funding to combat trafficking in persons. ICE has also created a position of Global Trafficking in Persons (G-TIP) Coordinator to identify, develop, implement and coordinate these projects under the President’s Initiative. ICE coordinates a G-TIP law enforcement initiative in Mexico centered on foreign law enforcement capacity building to include TIP/Sex Tourism training, establishing vetted units, rescuing trafficking victims, and providing support to prosecutors

Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NII) Training

CBP employs Non-Intrusive Inspection Equipment (NIIE) technology at all land ports of entry. This technology ensures a large percentage of conveyances are examined in a non-intrusive manner for contraband while permitting the smooth flow of legitimate trade and travel.  While it would require four officers approximately four hours to unload and thoroughly examine a commercial conveyance full of cargo, a large-scale NII system can produce x-ray images of the conveyance and cargo permitting two officers to conduct an equivalent examination in a matter of a few minutes (e.g. three to five minutes).  This technology also prevents unnecessary damage to conveyances and cargo caused by manual methods and allows the officers utilizing the technology see into areas that otherwise cannot be examined. This technology not only ensures contraband does not cross the border but also enables us to keep our country safe from weapons of mass destruction entering our country.

U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard has a number of cooperative programs with Mexico and Central America in a variety of areas, including port security, search and rescue, environmental response, and other programs, including with the Mexican Navy. In the area of enforcement, for example, in recent months the U.S. Coast Guard has seen a significantly increased level of cooperation with the Mexican government in obtaining authority to stop, board, and search Mexican flagged vessels, or vessels claiming Mexican nationality, which are suspected of drug smuggling. This includes recent cases in which the Mexican government authorized a boarding in less than two hours. Previously, the Coast Guard had encountered extensive difficulties in receiving this authority. The efforts of the Coast Guard Attaché working from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City with Mexican counterparts have greatly contributed to the enhanced cooperation and the establishment of a stronger working relationship with the Mexican government in the war on drug smuggling. The U.S. and Mexican participation in summits with other regional partners and exchanges of information about each nation's respective laws applicable to maritime drug smuggling and about experiences in maritime counter-drug operations continue to strengthen the working relationship between our two countries.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I thank you for the opportunity to share news of the types of success stories our hard-working men and women carry out every day to help protect our country.  The partnerships we have established with our neighbors in the hemisphere are critical to this effort.  Through the exchanges of information and intelligence, as well as discussions of key issues, we work with Mexico and Central America to identify and address issues of concern and threats both sides combat.  We suggest building on that momentum through the Merida Initiative so that forward movement not be lost and continued cooperation be enhanced and enlarged. Swift and prompt response is critical to interdicting and deterring those who would do us harm and those engaged in criminal endeavors.  DHS appreciates the importance of bilateral exchange and welcomes the support of the Subcommittee and the Congress for the Merida Initiative. Only by working to combat threats from both sides of the border can we achieve a new level of success. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify at this hearing, and I look forward to your questions.