ICE Announces New Export Enforcement Center

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on March 7 the opening of a multi-agency center established to coordinate and enhance federal export enforcement efforts.

In November 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13558 mandating the departments with export control authority to coordinate their efforts to protect and enforce U.S. export control laws and share intelligence across relevant departments and agencies. The Export Enforcement Coordination Center, or E2C2, serves as the primary center for this effort and will protect the nation's most sensitive technology through coordination and collaboration among the U.S. government export enforcement agencies that are authorized to conduct criminal investigations related to possible violations.

The center will be administered by a director from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with deputy directors from the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce.

"Both our national security and our economic security are dependent on our ability to maintain a vibrant trade system as we safely and efficiently move people and goods across our borders," said ICE Director John Morton. "Export enforcement is a vital tool to prevent criminals and terrorists from obtaining our most sensitive weapons and technologies. The Export Enforcement Coordination Center is designed to further our ability to do so, with robust interagency cooperation and intelligence sharing."

Participating departments and organizations include the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Commerce, State, Treasury, Defense, Energy, and the Director of National Intelligence, with representation from agencies including the FBI, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Security Service and numerous other law enforcement and licensing components.