HSI International Operations hosts ceremony to formally establish Peru TCIU

WASHINGTON — On Sept. 21, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the government of Peru announced the establishment of a Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) to establish a vetted unit within the country to partner on transnational criminal investigations. The memorandum of cooperation was signed by HSI Assistant Director for International Operations David Magdycz and Comandante General of the National Police of Peru Jorge Angulo on Sept. 15. Peruvian Ambassador to the U.S. Gustavo Meza Cuadra also attended the signing ceremony. Special thanks was extended to partners with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

“Peru and the United States share a profound commitment to combat transnational crime, terrorism and other threats that affect the stability and security of our nations — thus, transnational criminal organizations must be approached systematically and in a multidimensional fashion,” said Angulo. “The National Police of Peru, with Homeland Security Investigations, sign this memorandum as a tool to confront and combat this problem set to reduce illicit activities through coordinated efforts.”

“This agreement marks a significant steppingstone for the collaboration between the United States and Peru to address urgent challenges affecting not only our countries but global communities and the region,” said Cuadra. “There is a long list of crimes that range from the illicit trafficking of drugs and money laundering to the trafficking of persons and environmental crimes — all of which have severe negative impacts on our society. Peru is an active ally with the United States and trusted partner — we share common values and interests that enable us to jointly combat these crimes and Peru is committed to this partnership. The creation of this TCIU, coupled with capacity building and enhanced training, will bring much future success to efforts in this space.”

The effectiveness of HSI’s international counternarcotics efforts is greatly enhanced by the TCIU program. TCIUs perform essential roles that promote HSI’s investigations and aid in the disruption and dismantlement of the transnational criminal organizations that pose a direct threat to national and border security. HSI’s TCIUs assist with furthering its global mission, working with foreign partners to investigate and prosecute people involved in transnational criminal activities that threaten the region’s stability and national security and who pose continuing threats to the United States. TCIUs identify targets, collect evidence, share intelligence and facilitate prosecution in the United States and foreign countries.

The TCIU program was launched in September 2011 and has more than 600 vetted and trained foreign law enforcement officers in 15 locations across North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia. In fiscal year 2022, TCIU efforts worldwide resulted in 3,800 criminal arrests and the seizure of nearly $18.6 million and more than 350,000 pounds of narcotics and precursor chemicals.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

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