Holder Unveils Crime Intelligence Center
The globalization of criminal networks and advances in technology have made international criminal organizations a significant threat to the safety and security of the nation, Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday upon announcing the creation of a new International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center. The IOC-2 will marshal the resources and information of nine U.S. law enforcement agencies, as well as federal prosecutors, to collectively combat the threats posed by global gangs to domestic safety and security. Holder made the announcement in Rome at the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial. "We are answering that threat by developing a 21st century organized crime program that will be nimble and sophisticated enough to combat the danger posed by these criminals for years to come," he said.
Understanding that international criminal rings are profit-driven, IOC-2 will establish a team of financial experts to serve as consultants and identify opportunities and strategies to employ forfeiture as a means of disrupting targeted criminal organizations. The team will coordinate multi-jurisdictional forfeiture strategies and assist agents in the field in obtaining the necessary resources, such as financial auditors, investigators and forfeiture attorneys, to employ the strategy, according to a DOJ press release. Holder also emphasized the importance of continued cooperation with foreign law enforcement through existing police-to-police and mutual legal assistance mechanisms. The creation of IOC-2 will make the United States a more effective partner for joint investigations and prosecutions, he said.
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