HSI, Migración Colombia sign agreement to strengthen immigration cooperation

BOGOTA, Colombia — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Migración Colombia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) July 23 to formalize their cooperative efforts to prevent, investigate and enforce immigration laws.

HSI International Operations Deputy Director David A. Thompson and Migración Colombia Director Sergio Bueno Aguirre signed the MOU at a ceremony held at Migración Colombia headquarters in Bogota. The MOU will support the exchange of information and the sharing of best practices and law enforcement techniques related to combating immigration law violations.

"This MOU represents the strong partnership between our two agencies and will enable us to exchange information and share knowledge to further our cooperative efforts to enforce immigration laws," said HSI International Operations Deputy Director Thompson. "We look forward to future opportunities to expand our cooperation with Migración Colombia."

"Today's MOU is significant because it will enable HSI Bogota and Migración Colombia to share information and expertise to expand our collaborative efforts to enhance our human smuggling investigations, ensuring that we are working together to protect our borders and those vulnerable populations who are exploited by criminal organizations," said HSI Bogota Attaché Luis Sierra.

Through ICE's Office of International Affairs and the State Department, HSI has 67 attaché offices in 48 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies and through a robust network of specialized, vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units. Additionally, HSI brings personnel from host countries to the United States to train at the Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.