U.S. MARSHALS ANNOUNCE ARREST OF 307 FUGITIVES TO HONOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
U.S. Marshals Coordinate the Arrest of 307 Fugitives to Honor Victims of Crime

Phoenix, AZ – Beginning March 2nd, the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Arizona coordinated a state wide fugitive operation involving law enforcement agencies from Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties. This operation targeted over a thousand fugitives wanted for higher level felony crimes, including homicide, robbery, rape, dangerous drugs, and assault.

During this time period, Task Force members made a concentrated effort to go after the most violent career criminals and gang members across the state of Arizona in line with a National strategy. This strategy was not about increasing arrest numbers, but rather an effort to further protect communities by targeting the most dangerous felony fugitives. The approach was quality versus quantity and was strengthened by working with our law enforcement partners to get the worst of the worst fugitives off the streets.

This apprehension effort was designed to coincide with National Crime Victim’s Rights Week. Since 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has observed an annual week of remembrance for victims of crimes. Since 2008, the U.S. Marshals Service in Arizona has coordinated targeted law enforcement partnerships to seek out and arrest fugitives, thereby ensuring the justice process continues unabated in an effort to bring closure to the victims of crime. While the U.S. Marshals Service targets and prioritizes the worst of the worst every day, operations such as this allows valley law enforcement agencies to come together in a focused initiative netting hundreds of arrests which diminishing resources does not allow to take place on a daily basis.

"In the last 7 years that the U.S. Marshals Service in Arizona has been conducting these interagency fugitive apprehension programs, more than 35,000 felons have been arrested,” said U.S. Marshal David Gonzales. “By taking these criminals off the street we have made our communities safer. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will continue to combine resources to deal with the problem of violent and career criminals".

This initiative proved effective here in Arizona with arrests totaling 307 throughout the state. Of that 307, arrests included 44 for Murder/Aggravated Assault, 23 for Child Abuse/Molestation, 21 for Sex Offenses/Sex Assaults, and 17 for firearms related offenses. This was a strategically focused approach through the use of the U.S. Marshals multi-jurisdictional investigative authority and its fugitive task force networks at the local level. The following arrests are examples of the type of career criminals and predators focused on during this operation:

David Ponce, 39, was wanted by the Peoria Police Department on nineteen counts of Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Child Molestation, Aggravated Assault, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Furnishing Harmful Items to Minors, Kidnapping and Surreptitious Videotaping. Ponce had been on the run for approximately ten months and it was believed that Ponce had fled either to Mexico or California. On April 13, 2015, information was developed indicating Ponce was in the Southern California area. On April 14, 2015 Ponce was taken into custody in Los Angeles.

Jose Araujo Flores, 18, was arrested in Phoenix on April 13th. Flores was wanted by Phoenix Police Department for his possible involvement in the shooting death of a rival gang member. It is alleged that Flores, a documented member of a criminal street gang, and four associates got into an altercation with three members of another rival street gang. Flores was seen leaving an apartment complex in Phoenix in a vehicle. Flores was taken into custody without incident.
Christopher Handy, 28, was located and apprehended in the area of 19th avenue and Northern. Handy was wanted by Mesa Police Department on Probable Cause for Home Invasion, Aggravated Assault and Kidnapping. Handy was observed walking on the sidewalk and ignored commands made by law enforcement, continuing to drop his hand towards his waist. Once Handy was placed in restraints it was discovered Handy had a hand gun in his waistband.

Alex Mundo Lara, 28, was arrested in North Carolina on information provided by U.S. Marshals in Tucson, AZ. Lara was wanted on a warrant issued by Pima County Superior Court charging Lara with Murder in the First Degree and Attempted Murder in the First Degree stemming from a drug related shooting that occurred in Tucson, AZ. During a drug transaction with the victim(s) an argument occurred and Lara produced a handgun. Lara shot the victims several times before fleeing the area.

“The Arizona Department of Public Safety is very proud to have been a part of this combined federal, state and local effort to make communities safer by helping to dismantle illegal business operations conducted by criminal gang members,” said Frank Milstead, Arizona Department of Public Safety Director.

"This multi-agency approach to apprehending violent offenders in our community has proven to be a successful method of focusing resources from various agencies towards one common goal,” said Chief Sean Duggan of the Chandler Police Department. “With every apprehension the victims of crimes in our communities can be reassured that the offenders are off the streets making our City a safer place for people to live, work and thrive.”

“This operation is a clear illustration of how effective Law Enforcement can be when they work together towards a common goal,” said Chief Larry Hall of the Buckeye Police Department. “Criminals know no boundaries and Law Enforcement must constantly adapt to the criminal element in order to be successful and better protect our citizens. This partnership shows that we did just that.”

The United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS AFTER MEETING WITH TASK FORECE ON 21ST CENTURY POLICING

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
March 02, 2015
Remarks by the President after Meeting with Task Force on 21st Century Policing
Roosevelt Room
12:09 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Last year, the events in Ferguson and New York exposed a deep-rooted frustration in many communities of color around the need for fair and just law enforcement.

And so back in December, I announced a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, chaired by two outstanding leaders who are respected both in law enforcement and in civil rights circles -- Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, and former Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson.  And I asked them to help to form a task force made up of community leaders, law enforcement leaders, academics, practitioners, and to come up in 90 days with a very specific set of recommendations that would allow us to continue to drive crime down, to continue to deal with issues of community building, but would begin to build the kind of trust that we need in order to continue to make progress in the future.

For the last few months, they’ve been holding hearings.  They met with people who care passionately about these issues; they’ve debated recommendations thoughtfully and deliberately.  Some put their lives on hold for more than two months to do this. I am extraordinarily grateful for their efforts.

This morning, they presented to me their report, which will be available online for everybody to see.  It offers pragmatic, common-sense ideas based on input from criminal justice experts, community leaders, law enforcement, and civil liberties advocates.  We are carefully reviewing all their recommendations, which include very specific recommendations, more general recommendations, everything from training issues to technology issues, to approaches for interacting with schools, to how we get research and data.

But I want to summarize just a few key points that were made so that people are very clear about the direction that we're going to be moving.  Number one, I think uniformly, the task force talked about the issue of legitimacy as being important not just for the communities, but also for law enforcement officers; that the more there is trust between communities and law enforcement, the safer it is for cops, the more effectively they can do their jobs, the more cooperation there’s going to be, the more likely those communities are to be safe.

And so there is no theoretical separation between the interests of community and law enforcement.  But obviously the devil is in the details, and we've got to figure out how to make that work.

Number two, there was a great emphasis on the need to collect more data.  Across this country, we've got 18,000 law enforcement jurisdictions.  Right now, we do not have a good sense, and local communities do not have a good sense, of how frequently there may be interactions with police and community members that result in a death, result in a shooting.  That's the kind of information that is needed for police departments to do their job, to be able to manage their forces effectively, and for communities to be able to evaluate and provide appropriate oversight to the folks who are supposed to be serving and protecting them.

There was a lot of discussion about the need for expanding and enhancing community policing that we know works.  When I had several law enforcement officers from around the country the other day, almost all of them -- and this is a diverse group, some from big cities, some from small communities, some from tribal areas -- they all discussed the need for police officers to be engaged with the community, not just in a stop but also in a school, also working with children, also being seen as enhancing the life of the community beyond law enforcement.  That trust then enhances their ability to do a good job.  And that's an area that was emphasized by this task force.

There’s a great interest in training.  We know some things that work.  We need more information to find out how to take to scale best practices when it comes to training so that police officers are able to work in a way that reduces the possibilities of bias, that allows them to deal with what are very stressful situations.  Oftentimes the police officers have extraordinarily difficult jobs; they may be put in situations in which there’s a lot of tension, and how do they deal with that appropriately, and how do they work with the community effectively to mitigate some of those challenges.

There are going to be some controversial recommendations in here.  For example, the need for independent investigations and independent special prosecutors (inaudible) a situation in which law enforcement has interacted with an individual that results in death.

I'm going to give Laurie some water right now. (Laughter.)  I think it's important -- she’s been working very hard.  (Laughter.)  And Michelle has that same cough.

But the importance of making sure that the sense of accountability when, in fact, law enforcement is involved in a deadly shooting is something that I think communities across the board are going to need to consider.  Or some recommendations around prohibiting racial profiling.  That's a step that we've already taken at the federal level.  If you talk to the FBI, if you talk to our federal law enforcement, it may be challenging for them to change old practices, but they are confident that they’re able to continue to do their job effectively.  The same is going to be true at the local level as long as it is an intentional policy coming from the top that is followed up with key metrics so the people know exactly what is going on.

And then there’s some discussions of technology.  There’s been a lot of talk about body cameras as a silver bullet or a solution.  I think the task force concluded that there is a role for technology to play in building additional trust and accountability, but it's not a panacea, and that it has to be embedded in a broader change in culture and a legal framework that ensures that people’s privacy is respected and that not only police officers but the community themselves feel comfortable with how technologies are being used.

There’s some additional recommendations that are very specific.  For example, how law enforcement handles mass demonstrations.  I think there was a lot of concern that bubbled up in the wake of Ferguson.  The federal government has already taken it upon itself to look at how we are dealing with providing military equipment to local law enforcement and how that may be used.  There are some recommendations that deal with civilian oversight and how that might be managed.

The point is that this report is going to contain a series of very specific, concrete, common-sense efforts for us to build trust.  It will be good for police and it will be good for the communities involved.  And as a consequence, it will be good for the country.  Everybody wants our streets safe and everybody wants to make sure that laws are applied fairly and equitably.

Nobody, by the way, wants that more than law enforcement themselves.  I was keenly interested in hearing from some of our law enforcement representatives who talked about how important it is for police to feel as if the community supports them, because they got into law enforcement to serve and protect, not to be viewed as some external force.  And unfortunately, sometimes policies, politics, politicians put law enforcement in an untenable position.

There was some discussion within the report about how we have to look at the broader context in which law enforcement is happening.  Our approach to our drug laws, for example, and criminalization of nonviolent offenses rather than taking more of a public health approach -- that may be something that has an impact in eroding trust between law enforcement and communities. Broader issues of poverty and isolation may have an impact.

I emphasized to the task force that I think it's important for us to recognize that context, but I don't want us to have such a 40,000-foot argument that we lose track of the very specific concrete practices that can be instituted right now that will make a difference.

Now, last point I'll make.  Most of the recommendations that have been made are directed at the 18,000 law enforcement jurisdictions that are out there.  Law enforcement is largely a local function as opposed to a federal function.  Many of the recommendations that have been made for changes in federal practice we already have entrain.  Those that we do not yet have entrain, that we have not yet implemented, I'm going to be asking Eric Holder and the Justice Department and his successor to go through all these recommendations so that we can start implementing them.

I know that one area that's going to be of great interest is whether we can expand the COPS program that in the past has been very effective, continues to be effective, but is largely underfunded -- to see if we can get more incentives for local communities to apply some of the best practices and lessons that are embodied in this report.

But a lot of our work is going to involve local police chiefs, local elected officials, states recognizing that the moment is now for us to make these changes.  We have a great opportunity, coming out of some great conflict and tragedy, to really transform how we think about community law enforcement relations so that everybody feels safer and our law enforcement officers feel, rather than being embattled, feel fully supported.

We need to seize that opportunity.  And so this is something that I'm going to stay very focused on in the months to come.  I'm going to be pushing my Justice Department and the COPS program and others to continue to work on it.  But I want to close by just once again saying thank you to the extraordinary contributions that have been made by this task force.

I expect our friends in the media to really focus on what’s in this report and pay attention to it.  So often we see an event that's flashy; it makes the news; people are crying out for solutions.  And by the time recommendations are put forward, our focus has moved on and we don't actually see and pay attention to the concrete ways that we can improve the situation.  This is a moment where a lot of work has been done.  There’s some good answers to be had if we don't make this a political football or sensationalize it, but rather really focus on getting the job done.

So I appreciate everybody’s efforts.  I'm going to be focused on it.  I hope you will be, too.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Q    Surely you don't mean us, do you?

THE PRESIDENT:  You pay attention, personally.  It's more generically.

Thank you, guys.

END
12:23 P.M. EST

FTC SAYS IT IS AGGRESSIVELY COMBATING TELEPHONE SCAMS TARGETING SENIORS

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

FTC Testifies on Efforts to Stop Phone Scams Before Senate Special Committee on Aging

In testimony before Congress today, the Federal Trade Commission described its work to fight telephone scams that harm millions of Americans, especially “grandparent” and other imposter scams where callers trick seniors into sending them money by pretending to be a friend or relative in distress or a representative of a government agency or a well-known company. The testimony outlined aggressive FTC law enforcement, as well as the agency’s efforts to educate consumers about these scams and to find technological solutions that will make it more difficult for scammers to operate and hide from law enforcement.

Testifying on behalf of the Commission before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Lois Greisman, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, said the FTC has brought more than 130 cases involving telemarketing fraud against more than 800 defendants during the past decade. The Commission has obtained judgments of more than $2 billion from the cases that have been resolved. Despite aggressive enforcement, the prevalence of phone scams remains unacceptably high – the testimony noted that the FTC receives tens of thousands of complaints about illegal phone calls every week, including imposter scams like the “grandparent scam.”

The testimony described the FTC’s interagency work, noting that since 2003, hundreds of fraudulent telemarketers have faced criminal charges and prison time as a result of FTC referrals to criminal law enforcement agencies. A U.S.-Canada operation, Project COLT, has led to 10 recent indictments of grandparent scammers, and information provided by the FTC has helped extradite and prosecute phone fraudsters. With the FTC’s assistance, Project COLT has recovered more than $26 million for victims of telemarketing fraud. In addition, the FTC has supported multiple prosecutions through a U.S.-Jamaica law enforcement task force, Project JOLT, including phone scams that targeted seniors and impersonated government agencies to promote fake lottery schemes.

The testimony outlined FTC education and outreach programs that reach tens of millions of people every year. Among them is the recently created “Pass It On” program that provides seniors with information, in English and Spanish, on a variety of scams targeting the elderly. The testimony also noted the agency’s work with the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to help protect seniors, and with the AARP Foundation, whose peer counselors provided fraud-avoidance advice last year to more than a thousand seniors who had filed complaints with the FTC about certain frauds, including lottery, prize promotion, and grandparent scams.

The testimony also described the FTC’s ongoing work to bring about technological changes that will make it more difficult for fraudsters to use the phone to scam consumers and to hide from law enforcement. Among these initiatives are an effort to make it harder for scammers to fake or “spoof” their caller ID information and the more widespread availability of technology that will block calls from fraudsters, essentially operating as a spam filter for the phone.

The Commission vote approving the testimony and its inclusion in the formal record was 5-0.

INL IN TAJIKISTAN AND KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Trip Report – INL Visits Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Carol Perez traveled in early April to Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, where she met with senior leaders and emphasized INL’s continued commitment to support counter narcotics, law enforcement and rule of law priorities in both countries. She also observed a number of INL projects firsthand.

While in Bishkek, PDAS Perez met with the head of the State Drug Control Agency to discuss ways to improve our counter narcotics cooperation efforts that are supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At the Ministry of Interior, Minister Abdulla Suranchiev updated PDAS Perez on his police reform efforts and welcomed further cooperation with INL. PDAS Perez also met with the Kyrgyz Prosecutor General Aida Salyanova to discuss the valued work of the INL-funded DOJ Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) who is assisting Kyrgyz prosecutors to develop better evidenced-based prosecutions that bring criminals to justice. They also discussed how INL and the international community can assist Kyrgyzstan in asset recovery efforts.

Also in Bishkek, PDAS Perez joined the Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime to launch the UNODC Forensic Crime Lab Refurbishment Project. INL provided $1.4 million to support the renovations of the crime lab, which is currently just a building shell, into a modern, fully equipped facility. The project will also strengthen the capacity of Kyrgyz forensic professionals to provide forensic services in line with international standards by providing training on effective forensic methodology and practices. The Kyrgyz Forensic Chief noted that the new facility will expedite the processing of criminal investigations, provide quality service to the criminal justice system and increase public trust in law enforcement.
PDAS Perez’s visit to the Southern Kyrgyz city of Osh afforded her the opportunity to visit a nearby Uzbek village and meet with a Community Security Working Group. In discussions with residents from the Amir-Tumur District, led by INL-funded NGO Saferworld, community members and NGO partners told PDAS Perez about their successes in overcoming ethnic and social boundaries in order to address quality-of-life issues within their communities.

PDAS Perez also visited a neighborhood in Osh and observed the INL-funded Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Community Security Initiative (CSI) mobile police responder units, and she observed how these converted minibuses are used to facilitate citizen access to the police and to rebuild public trust and confidence in the police. In many isolated villages, these units are the only government service that is delivered directly to the community.

PDAS Perez continued on to Tajikistan where, in addition to discussing our counter narcotics and law enforcement assistance with the head of Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency and the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, she had the opportunity to meet with a group of Tajik female law enforcement officers who are participants in INL Dushanbe's Women's Empowerment Program (WEP). Since 2013, INL has trained more than 40 Tajik female law enforcement officers in a range of areas to include dealing with domestic violence and the prevention of human trafficking. Through the WEP, INL is demonstrating U.S. commitment to helping Tajikistan expand roles for female law enforcement. During the meeting with PDAS Perez, these women expressed how INL support has helped them better understand what they can do to improve themselves professionally and use their knowledge and expertise as the number and role of women in Tajikistan law enforcement expands.

While in Dushanbe, PDAS Perez visited the principal training centers for rank-and-file police and border guards. The director of the police training center briefed her on the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) plans for improving the facility to meet the educational requirements expected as part of the MIA's police reform. At the Border Guard Training Center, where INL supports training by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), PDAS Perez was briefed on plans to repurpose the facilities in order to train additional women from Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

PDAS Perez also traveled to the Tajik industrial city of Tursunzade, home of Central Asia's largest aluminum plant, to visit one of the 16 Community Policing Partnership Teams (CPPT) established by INL in the country. The CPPTs link community leaders and police to address mutual issues and concerns. The leader of the Tursunzade CPPT, a mullah, told PDAS Perez that based on its survey of the community the CPPT was focusing attention on youth, principally through programmed sports activities at a nearby school. PDAS Perez then viewed a karate demonstration by more than two dozen youth, including two slated to compete in a Central Asia regional championship that weekend.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BROWNFIELD'S CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ON NARCOTICS AND U.S.-MEXICO RELATIONS

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

The Future of U.S.-Mexico Relations

Testimony

William R. Brownfield

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Statement Before the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Washington, DC

May 20, 2014

---

Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss our important partnership with the Government of Mexico. Through this unprecedented partnership forged between our two governments over the past seven years, great progress has been made in strengthening the capacity of Mexico’s justice sector to counter organized crime and protect our shared border. And working in partnership with the Peña Nieto administration, we are continuing our strong collaborative efforts with the Government of Mexico to advance our shared citizen security objectives.
In 2008, at the start of the Merida Initiative, drug cartel-related violence in Mexico had been increasing dramatically, corruption was a threat to rule of law, and Mexican institutions were not able to deal effectively with the impunity of these powerful criminal networks. The people of Mexico had little confidence in their institutions, and the unmitigated flow of illicit money and narcotics clouded the prospects of Mexico’s licit economy. In 2008, Mexico took the important first step of passing constitutional reforms to overhaul its entire justice sector including the police, judicial system, and corrections at the federal, state and local levels. Mexico’s institutional reforms and its objective of building strong institutions that its citizens can depend on to deliver justice provided a foundation for U.S. cooperation.

Since 2008, our assistance under the Merida Initiative has helped advance Mexico’s implementation of these reforms. To date, the U.S. government has delivered approximately $1.2 billion worth of training, capacity building, and equipment. By no means do we go it alone: the Government of Mexico has contributed billions of its own resources, outpacing our own, to our shared security goals. And because our assistance is designed jointly with the Government of Mexico, many programs form integral parts of Mexico’s justice sector reforms and enjoy a high level of sustainability.

Our partnership with Mexico has demonstrated results, through it we have: helped advance the transition to the accusatory justice system through the training of over 8,500 federal justice sector personnel; augmented the professionalization of police units by providing training to more than 22,000 federal and state police officers, 4,000 of which are federal investigators; improved the capacity and security of its federal prisons, supporting the expansion of secure federal facilities from five with a capacity of 3,500 to 14 with a capacity of 20,000; provided civic education and ethics training to more than 700,000 Mexican students; and improved the detection of narcotics, arms, and money at the border, reaching nearly $3.8 billion in illicit goods seized. In addition, since 2009, Mexico has apprehended more than 70 senior and mid-level drug trafficking organization (DTO) leaders, notably Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, significantly disrupting all major Mexican DTOs. These are noteworthy outputs that, with continued collaboration and political commitment, will help enhance security for citizens on both sides of the border.

The Initiative continues to be structured around the four pillar framework: 1) Disrupting the operational capacity of organized crime; 2) Institutionalizing Mexico’s capacity to sustain the rule of law and protect human rights; 3) Creating a 21^st century border; and 4) Building strong and resilient communities. This framework, combined with the shift toward training and an emphasis on building capacity at the state and local level, is the basis for our security cooperation with the Peña Nieto Administration going forward.

When President Peña Nieto took office in December 2012, he and his Administration took a close and deliberate look at the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship, including our security cooperation. After a careful review, the Government of Mexico has committed to continuing our collaboration on security issues under the four-pillar Merida framework, with a sharper focus on crime prevention and rule of law. The Peña Nieto Administration has laid out its long-term plans for improving citizen security through its ten-point security strategy that includes crime prevention and effective criminal justice, police professionalization, transforming the prison system, promoting citizen participation and international coordination on security, transparent statistics on crime rates, coordination among government authorities and regionalization to focus efforts, and strengthening of intelligence to combat crime. These elements track well with the planning and direction of the work that I manage, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) programming, which aims to help build professionalized and credible civilian security.

In recent months, we have reached agreement with the Government of Mexico on areas of programmatic focus for our security cooperation under Merida. We have launched a robust process for getting security assistance programs green lighted that consists of joint executive level meetings between INL Mexico and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and the Ministry of Government (SEGOB). Since November 2013, 78 projects, totaling more than $430 million have been approved through this process. These projects span all four pillars of Merida with a focus on bilateral priority areas – assistance to the states in law enforcement capacity building, support to the Government of Mexico’s efforts on its southern border strategy, and justice sector reform.

In seeking to further justice sector reform, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has demonstrated commitment to advancing the transition to the accusatory justice system and recently agreed to several programs supporting this transition at the federal and state level. We will continue building the skills of prosecutors, investigators, and experts, enhancing the technical capacity of courtrooms throughout the country to handle oral trials, and helping to train law school students in crucial oral trial skills. Additionally we are working with the PGR’s criminal investigation arm, akin to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, to enhance its human and technological capacity to pursue complex investigations.

To help Mexico build policing capacity for its communities, we are putting in place the building blocks to expand police training to the state and municipal level. We have strengthened police academies in the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, and Puebla, enabling them to serve as the backbone for training programs and to conduct regional training. We are building our joint state training program around this regional structure but expanding it to reach all of Mexico’s 31 states and the Federal District. Some programs will be regional in their application, enhancing cooperation between law enforcement officials in neighboring states as they implement reforms. Contending with transnational crime and violence against communities takes collaboration and partnerships. And that is why, in addition to regional training academies, we are supporting task forces at the state level to better develop and share police intelligence, augmenting local capacity to combat criminal organizations.

Building on the Peña Nieto Administration’s agenda for police professionalization, we will work with the Government of Mexico to enhance and professionalize existing law enforcement institutions to develop federal standards for Mexican officials in the areas of recruitment, training, discipline and promotion. Drawing upon expertise here at home, U.S. Federal, state, and local partners will help to advise their Mexican counterparts on policing standards and best practices, and facilitate regional working groups that integrate state, local, and federal entities. Police professionalization, greater observance of civil and human rights, and greater trust among the Mexican public in its police will result.

Greater border security capacity, along Mexico’s northern and southern borders is also a significant bilateral priority. Our governments have committed to further enhancing the Government of Mexico’s ability to interdict illicit narcotics, arms, and money as well as strengthen control of porous border areas. Using the train the trainer method to multiply the impact of our assistance, we have already provided specialized training for police, military, and Mexican Customs officials that address advanced border security and import/export processing techniques and methodologies. On Mexico’s southern border, we expect that our assistance programs will help to improve communications among Mexican law enforcement, immigration, and community officials, increasing their interoperability and capacity to share information to adapt to evolving criminal tactics. This is important to Mexico’s national security and it is to ours as well. It goes without saying that strengthening Mexico’s capacity to control its border with Belize and Guatemala, which Mexico is already taking steps to do, will improve security on our own southern border.

In addition to new programs that we expect to have underway in the year ahead, we continue to build on the success of several ongoing programs. For example, Mexico’s federal corrections system continues to be a recognized international leader in corrections reform, with eight federal facilities already certified by the independent American Correctional Association. The reforms already underway, including the creation of an objective prisoner classification system and the construction of new facilities, are making great strides. Mexico’s success in reforming the corrections systems at the federal level can serve as the launching point for supporting similar reforms at the state level, where significant challenges remain. We will support Mexico in assessing state facilities and in its efforts to undertake similar reforms at the state level.
We will also continue supporting Mexico’s efforts to improve information sharing among its agencies involved in the fight against money laundering and illicit finance, a priority area for the Peña Nieto administration. Enhanced Mexican interagency coordination will lead to more prosecutions and cash seized. We have already provided funding for the training of the Financial Intelligence Unit’s (FIU) personnel, sophisticated financial analysis software, and the accompanying computer hardware. Given the expanded responsibilities of the FIU under the new anti-money laundering legislation passed in late 2012, we are providing additional support for upgrades and expanding their data center.

Complementary to our assistance at the institutional level, we will also continue to support local communities by promoting behavioral changes for improving rule of law from the ground up, such as through our Culture of Lawfulness program. This program offers a civic education curriculum to schools throughout Mexico, professional ethics education for the federal and state police as well other public officials, and informs citizens on the process for reporting crime and collects feedback on their experience of reporting crime through on-site monitors at local public prosecutors’ offices in Mexico City.

These examples of past, current, and future security collaboration with Mexico are just that, examples. Building strong and able justice sector institutions capable of dealing with organized crime and the accompanying violence and corruption is a difficult and long-term endeavor. It takes years of dedicated and sustained work across numerous institutions and sectors, the political will to affect change, and the resources and stamina to see it through. This is the path toward secure and safe communities and secure and safe economies. Our work with Mexico over the past seven years has achieved far reaching results and I am confident that our collaborative efforts will continue.

Thank you, Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel and other distinguished Members for your time. I look forward to answering any questions you might have.

FTC CHAIR RELEASES HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2013

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Chairwoman Releases 2013 Annual Highlights

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez released the agency’s 2013 Annual Highlights today at the Spring Meeting of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antirust Law in Washington emphasizing the agency’s work to protect consumers and promote competition during the past calendar year.

“The hallmark of our work has been, and will continue to be, our ability to adapt established tools – law enforcement, policy initiatives and education – to address economic challenges and technological advances that Congress could never have imagined when it created the FTC,” said Ramirez in her Highlights message.
The agency’s Enforcement Highlights address a range of law enforcement actions in industries including health care, technology, and energy and the environment. Promoting competition in the health care and pharmaceutical industries that reduces costs to consumers remains a top priority for the Commission and among the most notable accomplishments last year in this area, the FTC obtained two Supreme Court victories (FTC v. Actavis Inc., and FTC v. Phoebe Putney).

Focusing on the technology sector, the agency took its first actions involving mobile cramming and the Internet of Things. Law enforcement to stop consumer fraud continued to be a high priority for the agency along with its complementary order enforcement program. The FTC’s actions resulted in redress orders of more than $297 million and civil penalty orders of $20 million.

As noted in Policy Highlights, the Commission filed 18 advocacy and amicus briefs on topics such as non-physician health care professionals, dental therapy education programs, and local taxicab regulations. Staff conducted 11 workshops on a range of topics including biologic medicines, native advertising, and the Internet of Things, to name a few. The Commission and staff also published 16 reports on topics including mobile payments and mobile privacy disclosures, among others. The FTC also continued to lead efforts to develop strong mutual enforcement cooperation and sound policy with its international partners.

Finally, the FTC’s Education and Outreach Highlights recognizes the agency’s work to alert businesses to compliance standards, and to alert consumers to the tell-tale signs of fraud and deceptive business practices. Among the agency’s many educational products produced in 2013, the FTC released new guidance for media to spot false weight-loss claims; developed information for mobile app developers; hosted the first Military Consumer Protection Day; and launched its Competition Matters blog.

AG HOLDER'S REMARKS AT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL WINTER MEETING

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder at the National Association of Attorneys General Winter Meeting
Washington, D.C. ~ Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Thank you, Attorney General [J.B.] Van Hollen, for those kind words; for your dedicated service over more than two decades; and for your leadership not only in the great State of Wisconsin, but also as President of the National Association of Attorneys General.

It’s a privilege to take part in this important meeting.  I’d like to thank NAAG’s leadership team and professional staff for bringing us together this week – and inviting me to speak with this distinguished group once again.

Over the past five years, I’ve been privileged to work closely with many of the attorneys general in this room.  Some of us have collaborated on cutting-edge public safety and financial crime initiatives.  Some of us are working together to strengthen our courts and corrections systems – and to find innovative ways to reduce costs and share resources.  And some of us have occasionally found ourselves on opposite sides of an issue.

But despite the differences we’ve encountered from time to time, as attorneys general, we all share the same set of goals.  And we’re striving to fulfill the same responsibilities: by protecting the safety of our fellow citizens and the security of our nation; by safeguarding the civil rights to which everyone in this country is entitled; by preventing and combating violent crime, financial fraud, and threats to the most vulnerable members of society; by improving the effectiveness of our criminal justice systems; and by strengthening collaboration among government, law enforcement, and community partners at every level.

For more than a century, the National Association of Attorneys General has brought America’s leading legal minds together to discuss and advance this work.  Especially in recent years – through sequestration, federal government shutdown, and unprecedented budgetary difficulties – you have shown remarkable leadership in addressing the priorities we share.  And that’s why I’ve made it a priority to participate in this organization’s conferences since I took office just over five years ago: because, at every stage of my career – as a prosecutor, as a judge, as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and as Deputy Attorney General – I’ve seen the profound, positive differences that state leaders like you can make.  And I understand the unique roles you play as the chief law enforcement officers in each of your respective jurisdictions.

In so many ways, you and your colleagues are pioneering our broad-based efforts to recalibrate and reform America’s criminal justice systems – to ensure that 21st century challenges can be met with 21st century solutions.  You’re responding to the same realities that are driving Justice Department reforms at the federal level – by working to break the vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration that traps individuals and weakens communities.  And I’m pleased to note that this commitment has, in many places, given way to principled action – and expanded federal-state partnership.

In recent years, no fewer than 17 states – supported by the Department’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative, and led by state officials from both parties – have directed significant funding away from prison construction and toward evidence-based programs and services, like supervision and drug treatment, that are proven to reduce recidivism while improving public safety.  Rather than increasing costs, a new report – funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance – projects that these 17 states will save $4.6 billion over a 10-year period.  And although the full impact of our justice reinvestment policies remains to be seen, it’s clear that these efforts are bearing fruit – and showing significant promise across the country.    
From Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Ohio – to Kentucky, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and far beyond – reinvestment and serious reform are improving public safety and saving precious resources.  And I believe that the changes that have led to these remarkable results should be carefully studied – and emulated.

That’s why, last August – in a speech before the American Bar Association in San Francisco – I announced a new “Smart on Crime” initiative that’s allowing the Justice Department to expand on the innovations that so many states have led; to become both smarter and more efficient when battling crime, and the conditions and choices that breed it; and to develop and implement commonsense reforms to the federal criminal justice system.

Under this initiative, we’re ensuring that stringent mandatory minimum sentences for certain federal, drug-related crimes will now be reserved for the most serious criminals.  We’re taking steps to advance proven reentry policies and diversion programs that can serve as alternatives to incarceration in some cases.  And as we look toward the future of this work, we’ll continue to rely on your leadership – and close engagement – to keep advancing the kinds of data-driven public safety solutions that many of you have championed for decades.

This also means making good on our commitment to provide formerly incarcerated people with fair opportunities to rejoin their communities – and become productive, law-abiding citizens – once their involvement with the criminal justice system is at an end.  With the Justice Department’s strong support, the ABA has done important work in this regard, cataloguing tens of thousands of statutes and regulations that impose unwise collateral consequences – related to housing, employment, and voting – that prevent individuals with past convictions from fully reintegrating into society.  As you know, in April 2011, I asked state attorneys general to undertake similar reviews in your own jurisdictions, and – wherever possible – to mitigate or eliminate unnecessary collateral consequences without decreasing public safety.  I’ve made the same request of high-ranking officials across the federal government.  And moving forward, I’ve directed every component of the Justice Department to lead by example on this issue – by considering whether any proposed rule, regulation, or guidance may present unnecessary barriers to successful reentry.
Two weeks ago, at Georgetown University Law Center, I called upon state leaders and other elected officials to take these efforts even further – by passing clear and consistent reforms to restore voting rights to those who have served their terms in prison or jail, completed their parole or probation, and paid their fines.  I renew this call today – because, like so many other collateral consequences, we’ve seen that the permanent disenfranchisement of those who have paid their debts to society serves no legitimate public safety purpose.  It is purely punitive in nature.  It is counterproductive to our efforts to improve reentry and reduce recidivism.  And it’s well past time that we affirm – as a nation – that the free exercise of our citizens’ most fundamental rights should never be subject to politics, or geography, or the lingering effects of flawed and unjust policies.

I applaud those – like Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky – who have already shown leadership in helping to address this issue.  And I encourage each of you to consider and take up this fight in your home states.

Of course, I recognize that this reform, and the other changes we seek, will not be easy to achieve.  And none of them will take hold overnight.  I know that, as law enforcement leaders, your work has in many ways never been more complex or more challenging.  And particularly in this time of budgetary uncertainty – when unwise, across-the-board cuts have impacted federal, state, and local programs we depend upon – you and your colleagues need all the support, and all the resources, you can get.

That’s why I will never stop fighting to provide the tools and assistance that state and local law enforcement leaders desperately need.  And I’m pleased to report that the bipartisan funding agreement – recently signed into law by President Obama – will restore essential funding for a number of key law enforcement priorities by returning the Justice Department’s appropriations to pre-sequestration levels.

Already, this legislation has enabled us to lift a Department-wide hiring freeze that had been in place for just over three years – so we can begin to bring on additional federal agents, prosecutors, and other staff to bolster ongoing investigative and enforcement efforts across America.  We anticipate that this agreement will also allow us to further invest in the kinds of place-based, intelligence-driven strategies that many of you have proven as effective; to keep offering assistance to states and localities suffering acute crime challenges; and to continue building upon the outstanding work that attorneys general, district attorneys, states’ attorneys, U.S. Attorneys and others have made possible – despite great adversity – in our ongoing fight against crime, against victimization, and for equal rights and equal justice.

This, after all, is the essential duty to which all of us – as attorneys general – have been sworn: not just to win cases, but to see that justice is done.  This is the cause that brings us together in Washington this week – working to confront the threats and seize the opportunities before us.  And this is the extraordinary task with which the American people have entrusted the leaders in this room – and the challenge that all justice professionals are called to address:  not merely to use our legal system to settle disputes and punish those who have done wrong, but to answer the kinds of fundamental questions – about fairness and equality – that have always determined who we are and who we aspire to be, both as a nation and as a people.

These are the questions that drove President Obama and me to decide, in early 2011, that Justice Department attorneys would no longer defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.  As I’ve said before, this decision was not taken lightly.  Our actions were motivated by the strong belief that all measures that distinguish among people based on their sexual orientation must be subjected to a heightened standard of scrutiny – and, therefore, that this measure was unconstitutional discrimination.  Last summer, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision – United States v. Windsor – striking down the federal government’s ban on recognizing gay and lesbian couples who are legally married.  This marked a critical step forward, and a resounding victory for equal treatment and equal protection under the law.

More recently – and partly in response to the Windsor decision – a number of state attorneys general, including those in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Virginia – and, just last week, Oregon – have reached similar determinations after applying heightened scrutiny to laws in their states concerning same-sex marriage.  

Any decisions – at any level – not to defend individual laws must be exceedingly rare.  They must be reserved only for exceptional circumstances.  And they must never stem merely from policy or political disagreements – hinging instead on firm constitutional grounds.  But in general, I believe we must be suspicious of legal classifications based solely on sexual orientation.  And we must endeavor – in all of our efforts – to uphold and advance the values that once led our forebears to declare unequivocally that all are created equal and entitled to equal opportunity.
This bedrock principle is immutable.  It is timeless.  And it goes to the very heart of what this country has always stood for – even though, as centuries of advancement in the cause of civil rights have shown, our understanding of it evolves over time.  As I said just after the Administration’s decision on DOMA was announced, America’s most treasured ideals were not put into action or given the full force of law in a single instant.  On the contrary: our ideals are continually advanced as our justice systems – and our Union – are strengthened; and as social science, human experience, legislation, and judicial decisions expand the circle of those who are entitled to the protections and rights enumerated by the Constitution.

As we gather here in Washington today, I believe that our highest ideals – realized in the form of landmark Supreme Court rulings, from Brown to Zablocki, from Romer to Lawrence, from Loving to Windsor – light a clear path forward.  They have impelled us, in some instances, to extraordinary action.  And the progress we’ve seen has been consistent with the finest traditions of our legal system, the central tenets of our Constitution, and the “fundamental truth” that, as President Obama once said, “when all Americans are treated as equal . . . we are all more free.”  

As we come together this week to renew our commitment to the work we share, to steel our resolve to combat crime – and to pledge our continued fidelity to the values that guide us, and the Constitution we’ve sworn to uphold – we must strive to move our country forward.  We must keep fighting against violence, safeguarding civil rights, and working to bring our justice system in line with our highest ideals.  We must keep refusing to accept a status quo that falls short of that which our Constitution demands – and the American people deserve.  And we must keep standing up and speaking out – no matter the challenges we face – to eradicate victimization and end injustice in all its forms.

This won’t always be easy – and, occasionally, but inevitably, our tactical paths will diverge.  But as long as we are dedicated to working in common cause, determined to disagree with mutual respect, and devoted to our shared pursuit of a more just and more perfect Union – I am confident in where our collective efforts, and your steadfast leadership, will take us.  I know, as this organization proves every day, that vigorous debate need not be subsumed by partisanship.  As attorneys general, we are called to serve.  We are expected to lead.

Thank you, once again, for your work, for your partnership – and for the opportunity to take part in this important dialogue. I look forward to all that we’ll do and achieve together in the critical days ahead.

U.S., CANADA AND MEXICO DISCUSS ANTITRUST ENFORCEMENT

FROM:  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Thursday, February 13, 2014
U.S., Canada and Mexico Antitrust Officials Participate in Trilateral Meeting in Washington to Discuss Antitrust Enforcement

The heads of the antitrust agencies of the United States, Canada and Mexico – Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Chairwoman Edith Ramirez of the Federal Trade Commission, Canadian Commissioner of Competition John Pecman and President Alejandra Palacios Prieto of the Mexican Federal Competition Commission – met today in Washington, D.C., to discuss their mutual efforts to ensure continued effective antitrust enforcement cooperation in our increasingly interconnected markets.

The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including recent enforcement developments, cooperation and mutual support, and priority setting and efficiency in resource constrained environments.

“Working with our antitrust colleagues across both United States borders to ensure effective antitrust enforcement is good for businesses and consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Baer.  “The department values its close law enforcement relationships with Canada and Mexico, and I look forward to our continued efforts to work together to combat anticompetitive activity.”

The meetings build on the foundations laid by the 1995 antitrust cooperation agreement between the United States and Canada, the 1999 agreement between the United States and Mexico and the 2001 agreement between Canada and Mexico.  The agreements commit the antitrust agencies to cooperate and coordinate with each other to make their antitrust policies and enforcement as consistent and effective as possible.

The three nations also are parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes a competition chapter that provides for cooperation among them in antitrust investigations.

FTC TESTIFIES ON DATA SECURITY

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Testifies on Data Security before Senate Banking Subcommittee

In testimony before a U.S. Senate Banking subcommittee, the Federal Trade Commission updated Congress on the agency’s ongoing efforts to promote data security through civil law enforcement, education, and policy initiatives.

Testifying on behalf of the Commission before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance, Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich told lawmakers that hackers and others seek to exploit vulnerabilities in order to obtain consumers’ sensitive information and potentially misuse it.

“Data security is of critical importance to consumers.  If companies do not protect the personal information they collect and store, that information could fall into the wrong hands, resulting in fraud and other harm,” the testimony states.

The testimony notes that, to promote data security, the FTC enforces several statutes and rules that impose obligations upon businesses that collect and maintain consumer data.  These include the proscription against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in Section 5 of the FTC Act; the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Since 2001, FTC has used its authority to bring cases against businesses that it charged with failing to provide reasonable protections for consumers’ personal information, the testimony states.  Last week, the agency announced it had reached a milestone with its 50th data security settlement.  GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a medical transcription company, agreed to settle FTC charges that it that had unreasonable data security measures, exposing the personal information of thousands of consumers on the Internet.

“In each of these cases, the Commission has examined a company’s practices as a whole and challenged alleged data security failures that were multiple and systemic,” the testimony states.

The testimony also outlines policy initiatives the FTC has undertaken to promote privacy and data security. The agency encourages companies to provide reasonable data security by following certain key principles.  These include:  knowing what consumer information they have; limiting the information they collect and retain; assessing risks and implementing protections for the information they maintain; properly disposing of information that they no longer need; and having a plan in place to respond to security incidents.

The testimony states that the FTC also is committed to promoting better data security practices through consumer education and business guidance. On the consumer education front, the Commission sponsors OnGuard Online, a website designed to educate consumers about basic computer security, as well as its Spanish-language counterpart Alerta en Línea.  For consumers who may have been affected by the recent Target and other breaches, the FTC posted information online about steps they should take to protect themselves.

The FTC also widely disseminates a business guide on data security, along with an online tutorial, that are designed to provide diverse businesses –especially small businesses – with practical, concrete advice as they develop data security programs and plans for their companies, the testimony notes.

Finally, the testimony points out the FTC’s long history of working closely with federal and state agencies, as well as the private sector, to promote privacy and data security.  The agency works with state Attorneys General to coordinate investigations and leverage its resources. It also has worked with criminal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service, that prosecute identity thieves, fraudsters, and other criminals.

“The FTC remains committed to promoting reasonable security for consumer data and we look forward to continuing to work with Congress on this critical issue,” the testimony states.

The Commission vote approving the testimony and its inclusion in the formal record was 4-0.

DOJ HELPS SUPPORT TRAINING OF WOMEN PROSECUTORS, INVESTIGATORS IN PAKISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Joint Training for Pakistani Women Prosecutors and Investigators

Officials from INL and the Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Women’s Police Support Program, conducted the first ever joint training for female prosecutors and police investigators in the history of Pakistan. The Women Police-Prosecutor Conference, held in Karachi on November 19-21, brought together police investigators and female prosecutors from Karachi and interior Sindh Province to receive specialized training from Pakistani and American experts in forensics, interview techniques, trial preparation, and crime scene analysis.

Speaking at the conclusion of the seminar, U.S. Consul General in Karachi Michael Dodman praised the participants with the following statement: “Female police officers and prosecutors face unique challenges, and I admire the courage and professionalism that you display every day in facing those challenges to pursue justice in your communities. I hope that the skills you learned in this first-ever joint prosecutor and investigator training for women in Pakistan will give you additional tools for success as you pursue your important work.”
The training seminar format presented the participants with a simulated crime and then asked them as a group to evaluate the crime scene, select the best investigative techniques, and develop a case for effective presentation in court. In addition, the women received instruction from Pakistani and American experts on case evaluation, police-prosecutor cooperation, and sexual harassment issues in the workplace. Following the seminar’s conclusion, the participants agreed that increased coordination between police and prosecutors from day one of an investigation is vital to building quality cases and increasing conviction rates at trial.

U.S. WORKS TO TRAIN COSTA RICAN AUTHORITIES TO STOP COCAINE TRAFFICK

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Strengthening Costa Rica’s Borders

In 2012, more than half of the primary flow of the cocaine trafficked to the United States first transited through the Central American corridor. Costa Rica’s use as a drug transshipment point is credited to its strategic geographic location, linking narcotics-producing countries in South America with the United States and the challenges of patrolling its extensive Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.

INL is taking steps across Central America to assist countries like Costa Rica improve their capabilities through the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). CARSI programs seek to disrupt crime that operates cross-regionally without regard to national borders, while also helping national governments take greater responsibility for their own security with professional, effective law enforcement.

A key pillar of the CARSI program is its capacity building for law enforcement. Since 2010, INL has partnered with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Central America, and CBP first offered land interdiction training to the Costa Rican Fuerza Publica, or National Police, in 2012. That training highlighted Costa Rica’s need for a dedicated Border Police force that could recruit cadets to work far from home in the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica’s border zones, and provide a career path that rewarded these specialized officers.
This necessary border police force was created by the Costa Rican government in 2013. On September 13th, 2013, Fuerza Publica officers began a basic border course taught and designed by Costa Ricans with input from CBP. At the end of the course, 170 officers went north to begin putting these lessons into practice, while 30 officers remained for an advanced course taught directly by CBP. The advanced course will give these officers specialized skills in mobile patrols, border post management, inspection of fraudulent documents, as well as day and night tactical operations.

In the weeks following their deployment, graduates of the basic course have made national headlines across Costa Rica with their discovery of ten helipads built on ranches owned by suspected drug traffickers and corrupt local officials, depots of military-style weapons, bulk currency, and stolen aviation fuel hidden in the remote hills along the border with Nicaragua. Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigative Police are now using evidence collected by the Border Police to build a case against the criminal network linked to the discoveries, while the 27 graduates of the advanced course head to the border to add an even greater level of advanced techniques to the efforts already underway.