U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Federal Police of Brazil to combat transnational crime. The memorandum of understanding, signed at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., marks a new level of cooperation.
During the signing on April 22, Jeff DaRin, Deputy Assistant Director of HSI International Operations, and Felipe Tavares Seixas, Director of International Cooperation for the Federal Police of Brazil, formalized the agreement. DaRin stated, “This partnership will enable our agents and officers to collaborate seamlessly on high-impact investigations, strengthening our collective ability to address security threats and protect the well-being of citizens in both countries.”
The partnership extends a longstanding relationship between the two agencies and lays out a framework for sharing criminal investigative intelligence, best practices, and methodologies to address transnational crime in both North and South America.
“Today’s signing ceremony is not just a formal agreement, but a testament to our shared commitment to fighting crime and protecting our citizens,” Tavares Seixas emphasized. He added, “By leveraging our collective resources and expertise, we will make substantial strides in combating transnational crime and safeguarding the security of our nations.”
Historically, ICE and Brazil's Federal Police have collaborated for over two decades, targeting significant transnational criminal organizations. Their efforts have focused on issues like human smuggling, firearms trafficking, child exploitation, cybercrimes, and financial criminal networks. Recently, both organizations dismantled a criminal group involved in smuggling hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States.
For additional information on ICE's immigration law enforcement and combat against transnational crime, the public is directed to their social media profiles on X under @ICEgov and @HSI_HQ.
