The U.S. Justice Department, along with the Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys and Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) members, recently held a leadership forum on combatting human smuggling and trafficking in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, according to a press release.
The leadership meeting focused on “examples of migrants being killed, sexually assaulted, kidnapped and abused by the smuggling and trafficking networks, as well as exploring those networks’ links with cartels, gangs and weapons smuggling.”
The joint partnership of forces, has already accounted for several prosecutions and new indictments as well as strengthening international relationships between participating agencies.
In June, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that the Justice Department would work to establish JTFA to combat transnational human trafficking in Central America, according to a press release.
"Transnational human smuggling and trafficking networks pose a serious criminal threat," Garland said. "These networks profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death. The joint efforts we are announcing today will combine investigative, prosecutorial, and capacity-building efforts of both the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Our focus will remain on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Together, we will combat these threats where they originate and operate."
Garland also directed the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) to coordinate with the U.S. State Department to provide assistance to international criminal investigation agencies in Northern Triangle countries and Mexico to support their efforts to combat smuggling and trafficking
"In our continued efforts to disrupt transnational criminal organizations, and smuggling and trafficking enterprises, the Department of Homeland Security will partner with the Department of Justice to launch Joint Task Force Alpha," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said, according to the press release. "We will take action to identify smugglers and their associates to ensure that we enhance the security of the U.S. border, and help save the lives of vulnerable people these organizations routinely prey upon."
