ICE, CBP update Senate on gang threat to U.S. security

On June 21, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary met for a hearing titled  “The MS-13 Problem: Investigating Gang Membership As Well As Its Nexus to Illegal Immigration, and Assessing Federal Efforts to to End the Threat.” During the hearing several individuals representing U.S. government agencies, including those representing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), testified to MS-13’s violence and brutality.

In their testimony, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Associate Director Derek Bennerm and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Executive Associate Director Matthew Albence spoke about ICE’s efforts in combating transnational organized crime and gangs, including Project New Dawn, a recent gang enforcement operation. Bennerm and Albence also discussed the importance of federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships, as well as how violence in the Northern Triangle effects U.S. security, such as the 2014 surge of unaccompanied children along the U.S. southwest border.

CBP U.S. Border Patrol Acting Chief of Carla Provost addressed the role of CBP to protect the homeland and secure the nation’s borders while facilitating lawful international travel and trade. In her testimony, Provost spoke about how CBP coordinates and shares law enforcement information with other U.S. government partners. Provost also touched on CBP’s role in countering human trafficking.

For more information about the testimonies, please follow the links below.
Written testimony of CBP U.S. Border Patrol Acting Chief of Carla Provost…, Department of Homeland Security
Written testimony of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Associate Director Derek Benner…, Department of Homeland Security


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