HSI, Colombian tax and customs agency renew agreement to combat trade-based money laundering

BOGOTA, Colombia — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Bogota Attaché Luis Sierra and Colombia’s Director of the National Directorate of Tax and Customs (DIAN) Santiago Rojas signed an agreement Tuesday renewing their commitment to collaboratively work on investigations into trade-based money laundering.

Since 2005, HSI and the DIAN have worked closely in conducting trade-based money laundering and customs fraud investigations. HSI is the only U.S. law enforcement agency to exchange trade data with Colombia to investigate these types of crimes.

Through the renewed agreement, HSI will provide the DIAN with access to data analysis and research for the Trade Transparency System, an HSI computer system that contains domestic and foreign trade data and allows users to see both sides of the trade transaction, making the transaction transparent. This access will continue to provide both HSI and the DIAN the tools necessary to identify international trade anomalies and financial irregularities indicative of trade-based money laundering, customs fraud, movement of counterfeit goods and other import-export crimes.

The information-sharing methodology has been highlighted as a best practice in combatting trade-based money laundering. HSI has established information-sharing partnerships with 11 international partners, to include Colombia.

Through its International Operations, HSI has 65 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.