ICE, Paraguayan authorities train to combat transnational money laundering organizations

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay – Thirty-seven authorities from Paraguay’s National Police, Attorney General’s office, Customs, Immigration, Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering (SENAD) and Financial Intelligence Unit (SEPRELAD) participated in Cross Border Financial Investigations Training (CBFIT) last week to help them identify, target and combat money laundering organizations. The training was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Attaché Office in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Department of State's Bureau of Counter Terrorism.

The training focused on strategies and investigative techniques to assist with the identification and seizure of illicit funds generated by money laundering organizations engaged in transnational criminal schemes. HSI special agents shared best practices for investigating money laundering schemes, the movement of bulk and virtual currencies and intellectual property rights violations tied to terrorist financing.

Oscar Boidanich, Minister for SEPRELAD, Dr. Francisco Javier Diaz Verón, Attorney General and Stella Owens, HSI Buenos Aires deputy attaché, participated in the inaugural ceremony on June 7. U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, Leslie A. Bassett, delivered closing remarks during the graduation ceremony.

"SEPRELAD is very honored by the U.S. government initiative to promote technical training, related to financial investigations and cross border crimes given the fact that through these initiatives, Paraguay strengthens the power of those institutions related to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of several types of crimes, most of them originating subsequent money laundering and terrorist financing crimes,” said Minister Boidanich.

HSI has 62 operational attaché offices in 46 countries around the world where its special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies 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.