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Homeland
Security
officials
launch
new
Detroit
Task
Force to
protect
national
security
$1
million
in
counterfeits
seized
at
taskforce
launch
DETROIT-
In an
effort
to
mitigate
vulnerabilities
within
the
commerce
stream
that
threaten
the
nation's
consumers
and to
protect
national
security,
Homeland
Security
officials
recently
launched
its
Global
Trade
Task
Force
(GTTF),
a U.S.
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement's
(ICE)
Homeland
Security
Investigations
(HSI)-led
multi-agency
effort
that
leverages
robust
import
and
export
controls
and
investigative
authorities
to
combat
illicit
commercial
activities.
Authorities
announced
results
from a
recent
task
force
effort
Monday
at
Detroit's
Fort
Street
Cargo
Facility.
HSI
Detroit
Special
Agent in
Charge
Steve
Francis
called
the task
force a
vital
next
step in
the
battle
against
threats
to the
commerce
stream
and
national
security.
He said
the HSI
Detroit
task
force
could
serve as
a
national
model
for
related
investigations
across
the
agency
and
beyond.
"With
the
launch
of the
GTTF, we
are
combining
a wide
array of
capabilities
that
enable
us to
combat
this
global
problem
in a
more
streamlined
manner,
" said
Francis.
"I look
forward
to
seeing
the
significant
results
the task
force
will no
doubt
achieve,
and hope
it will
serve as
a model
for how
the
agency
approaches
counterfeit
and
counter
proliferation
investigations
going
forward."
"This
joint
collaborative
task
force is
a force
multiplier
for U.S.
Customs
and
Border
Protection
to
mitigate
illicit
attempts
by
smugglers
to use
inbound
and
outbound
commercial
shipments
for
their
nefarious
operations,"
said
Christopher
Perry,
Director
of Field
Operations.
"Exploiting
the
commercial
cargo
environment
will not
be
tolerated
and this
task
force
will no
doubt
aide our
border
security
mission."
U.S..
Customs
and
Border
Protection
is the
unified
border
agency
within
the
Department
of
Homeland
Security
charged
with the
management,
control
and
protection
of our
nation
's
borders
at and
between
official
ports of
entry.
CBP is
charged
with
keeping
terrorists
and
terrorist
weapons
out of
the
country
while
enforcing
hundreds
of U.S.
laws.
The
new task
force
combines
the
investigative,
interdiction,
regulatory,
and
licensing
capabilities
from a
variety
of
agencies,
including
HSI,
U.S.
Customs
and
Border
Protection,
the Drug
Enforcement
Administration,
the
Commerce
Department's
Bureau
of
Industry
and
Security,
and the
FDA's
Office
of
Criminal
Investigations.
The
GTTF's
primary
mission
is to
counter
the
following
types of
illicit
commercial
activities:
• Health
&
Safety:
Trafficking
of
counterfeit,
substandard,
or
tainted
merchandise,
with an
emphasis
on goods
that
pose a
threat
to
public
health
or
safety
including
pharmaceuticals
and
cosmeceuticals,
automotive,
aerospace,
rail,
and
heavy
industry
products;
and
environmental
crimes.
• Trade
Crime:
Financially-motivated
fraud
schemes
that
deprive
revenue
from the
United
States
government
or which
harm
businesses,
rights
holders,
or
undermine
financial
institutions.
•
Counter-Proliferation:
Illegal
export
of
United
States
military
products,
sensitive
dual-use
technology,
weapons
of mass
destruction,
or
chemical,
biological,
radiological,
and
nuclear
materials.
To
kick off
the
GTTF,
HSI
Detroit
partnered
with CBP
and
other
agencies
in a
weeklong
enforcement
effort
at the
Detroit
Metropolitan
Airport
and Port
Huron
Blue
Water
Bridge
Ports of
Entry.
The
action
targeted
merchandise
and
shipments
entering
and
exiting
the
United
States
from
foreign
countries
at the
FedEx,
DHL,
rail,
and the
centralized
examination
station.
During
the
weeklong
surge,
HSI and
CBP
seized
more
than
$1,000,0000
MSRP in
counterfeit
goods
and
counterfeit
prescription
drugs,
which
included,
counterfeit
Xanax
pills
and
Botox,
counterfeit
Transceiver
Network
Modules,
counterfeit
e-cigarettes,
and
counterfeit
Rolexes
and
iPhone,
among
other
items.
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