HSI Intelligence Officers Awarded for Leadership

Three employees assigned to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) Intelligence Office have been honored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Kirstin F. Grote and Erin G. Zappas were both awarded with a DHS Intelligence Leadership Award for their work on Project Global Shield. John W. Clifton also received the DHS Intelligence Leadership Award for his work as an intelligence research specialist at the National Bulk Cash Smuggling Center (BCSC). Both were awarded this distinction by DHS Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Caryn Wagner.

Grote and Zappas are critical members of Project Global Shield, a multilateral law enforcement initiative targeting the illicit diversion and trafficking of explosive precursor chemicals used by terrorist and other criminal organizations to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Cooperating with international partners is essential to protecting the global supply chain and the safety of American citizens. HSI is partnering with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to form Project Global Shield. This aims to thwart the smuggling of precursor chemicals that could be used to build IEDs, which are weapons commonly used against American troops and U.S. interests overseas.

In November 2010, Project Global Shield initially began as a pilot with more than 70 participating nations that shared information about 14 precursor chemicals. Based on its initial success and importance to multiple countries, the WCO's 177 members voted to continue Project Global Shield long-term in June 2011. This was the first time that the international community, as a whole, addressed the threat posed by these dangerous precursor chemicals. With real-time information and intelligence sharing, partners are now better equipped to identify whether or not shipments are legitimate.

"These two employees have shown exceptional leadership in their work, providing high quality, actionable intelligence products that were instrumental in providing leads to law enforcement personnel - both in the United States and abroad - as well as in shaping policy," said James Chaparro, director of HSI Intelligence. "Both have enhanced collaboration throughout DHS and beyond, leveraging HSI's intelligence capabilities to develop new relationships between our agency and our law enforcement counterparts dedicated to addressing the IED threat. I know that these two employees will continue to dedicate themselves to furthering our mission of protecting the homeland and U.S. interests abroad."

The work of the Project Global Shield intelligence team produced time sensitive and actionable intelligence products that directly resulted in seizures of explosive precursor chemicals in multiple locations around the globe, and several arrests. The seizure of the explosive precursor chemicals helped to save the lives of countless numbers of coalition forces and civilians. This team has also helped to drive best practices and policy changes among participating nations in the WCO to strengthen the global supply chain.

Clifton, who works at the BCSC, has proven himself as an outstanding leader in the intelligence field. Clifton has singlehandedly developed three high-priority and highly complex money laundering investigations in the last two years. 

"The breadth and scope of these investigations is unprecedented at HSI," added Chaparro. "He has worked tirelessly with field special agents and analysts alike, educating them on the myriad of potential violations and assisting them in tracing billions of dollars in illicit proceeds. His devotion to duty is unsurpassed, and I am proud that he has been recognized by DHS for his accomplishments in this area."

HSI Intelligence is a robust intelligence force that supports the enforcement needs of HSI's executive leadership and operational field units.

Cutting edge technology, complex intelligence gathering tools, multifaceted investigative techniques and a high level of professionalism have enabled HSI Intelligence to set the standard for federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. HSI Intelligence collects, analyzes and shares strategic and tactical data. It also supports federal, state, local, tribal and international law enforcement partners.

HSI Intelligence analysis and targeting information plays a vital role in supporting investigations related to illegal immigration, terrorism, weapons proliferation, war crimes, financial crimes, trade fraud, drug smuggling, human smuggling and trafficking, child sex tourism and other criminal activities.

ICE El Paso Unit a Center for Border Control

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent contacted the El Paso Intelligence Center to place a nationwide alert on a vehicle of interest. The next day, the special agent received notice on his BlackBerry that a camera at a southwest border port of entry had captured an image of the vehicle's license plate. Border authorities stopped the vehicle, which was en route to Mexico, because of the nationwide alert. They discovered and seized an array of weapons in the vehicle's trunk.

The El Paso Intelligence Center is an information focal point, collecting and analyzing interdiction reports and multi-source intelligence to identify and track trafficking activities and organizations, identify and fill intelligence gaps, and provide tactical intelligence to law enforcement officers in the field.

The multi-agency center is hosted by the Drug Enforcement Agency and has grown to include more than 26 federal, state, local, tribal and foreign enforcement agencies. Foreign partners include Mexico and Colombia.

Located within a stone's throw of the Mexican border – in El Paso, Texas – its mission is not limited to only border activity. In fact, its scope is vast, covering activity within the United States, on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border, across the Caribbean and from other points of origin within the Western Hemisphere.

"The center's mission evolved after Sept. 11 when then center's multi-agency environment was called upon to support terrorism investigations," said Louie Garcia, the center's deputy director and the first ICE employee to hold this position in the center's 38-year history. "The mission evolved from its experience in supporting interdiction efforts and investigating drug trafficking, alien, weapon and bulk currency smuggling by adding anti-terrorism to its efforts."
Garcia calls it an "all-threat center."

Its expansive network of systems and databases make it the go-to hub for investigators and officers alike.

At the core of the center's activities is the Watch Operations Section, where officers work around the clock, seven days a week to support officers and special agents who are actively engaged in enforcement activities and in need of immediate tactical information. Utilizing more than 70 federal, state and local databases, the staff has a wealth of critical information at its fingertips to assist at a moment's notice.

A Tuscaloosa County deputy sheriff recently relied on the center when he had a hunch that something wasn't right about a Texas-registered tractor trailer. He made a call to the center's Watch Operations Section, requesting a full search on two subjects, the trucking company and the trailer's license plate. Within minutes, the center's search revealed there was an active investigation by HSI on one of the subjects. Additionally during the search of the trailer, the deputy found $130,000 in U.S. currency tucked away in a false wall.

Having this type of background information at hand enables officers to make better decisions and enhance their safety measures.

Additionally, the center's Research and Analysis Section also offers valuable information. It provides statistical and trend information to case-specific research and analysis, both proactively and on a by-request basis.

"The center's mission, and the work conducted at the center, is vital to our national security," said Garcia.