ICE trains Dominican SWAT team on use of reconnaissance robot

SANTO DOMINGO – This past week, special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs (OFTP) national Special Response Teams (SRT) provided training to the Dominican National Police (DNP) SWAT team on the use of advanced tactics and technologies.

The weeklong exercise, supported by HSI Santo Domingo and HSI San Juan, which also received financial support from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), focused on slow and methodical entries for situations such as barricaded subjects, making use of a wireless robotic device known as Scout Recon IR, donated to the DNP by Recon Robotics, Inc.

The device, which has infrared optical systems, transmits real-time video to police seeking to gain knowledge about dangerous environments. By enabling law enforcement to gather information before seeking entry, the Scout Recon IR has the potential to save the lives of police officers, victims and suspects.

Through its International Operations, HSI has 62 operational attaché offices in 46 countries around the world. HSI 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.