WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:03.279 For inspecting all people , conveyances , 00:03.319 --> 00:05.400 and cargo entering and leaving the 00:05.400 --> 00:08.069 United States through our nation's land , 00:08.399 --> 00:11.760 land borders , airports , and seaports . 00:12.060 --> 00:14.960 While most people are familiar with our 00:14.960 --> 00:17.127 role in processing people and vehicles 00:17.127 --> 00:20.090 entering the United States . I want to 00:20.090 --> 00:22.329 take a moment today to discuss another 00:22.329 --> 00:25.030 important aspect of what CDP does , 00:25.290 --> 00:26.901 which is conducting outbound 00:26.901 --> 00:29.799 inspections . These inspections are a 00:29.799 --> 00:31.799 vital part of our national security 00:31.799 --> 00:34.889 mission . When we inspect vehicles and 00:34.889 --> 00:37.111 individuals leaving the United States , 00:37.279 --> 00:39.360 we are looking for illicit exports , 00:39.669 --> 00:42.310 specifically firearms , ammunition , 00:42.560 --> 00:44.880 and undeclared currency that are 00:44.880 --> 00:47.029 destined for criminal and terrorist 00:47.029 --> 00:49.840 organizations . A small sample of those 00:49.840 --> 00:52.490 interdictions are on display here today . 00:52.819 --> 00:55.680 While uncovering these violations , we 00:55.680 --> 00:58.159 have also successfully stopped child 00:58.159 --> 01:00.650 abductions , interdicted criminals 01:00.650 --> 01:04.569 fleeing prosecution . Indicted illegal 01:04.569 --> 01:07.919 contraband such as precursor chemicals 01:08.250 --> 01:10.209 used to manufacture drugs such as 01:10.209 --> 01:12.889 fentanyl and uncovered a myriad of 01:12.889 --> 01:14.833 other violations to include stolen 01:14.833 --> 01:16.930 vehicles and detecting trade and 01:16.930 --> 01:19.809 immigration violations . Our mission 01:19.809 --> 01:22.790 has never been more important , as you 01:22.790 --> 01:25.300 know . Transnational criminal 01:25.300 --> 01:27.910 organizations , many of which now fall 01:27.910 --> 01:30.150 under the designation of foreign 01:30.150 --> 01:32.069 terrorist organizations under the 01:32.069 --> 01:34.550 president's executive orders , rely on 01:34.550 --> 01:37.580 a steady stream of firearms to maintain 01:37.580 --> 01:41.160 control , sow violence . And the 01:41.160 --> 01:44.180 stabilized regions across Mexico and 01:44.180 --> 01:45.180 beyond . 01:49.620 --> 01:51.787 The weapons smuggled out of the United 01:51.787 --> 01:54.349 States are often used to commit acts of 01:54.349 --> 01:57.169 violence not only against rival cartels 01:57.169 --> 01:59.889 and law enforcement but also against 01:59.889 --> 02:02.449 civilians , elected officials , and 02:02.449 --> 02:05.449 journalists . Weapons trafficking is 02:05.449 --> 02:07.889 not just a public safety issue , it is 02:07.889 --> 02:10.679 a national security threat . Every 02:10.679 --> 02:13.800 firearm that crosses that border into 02:13.800 --> 02:15.856 the hands of a criminal organization 02:16.160 --> 02:18.216 represents a potential act of terror 02:18.216 --> 02:20.240 and the threat and a threat to the 02:20.240 --> 02:22.440 safety of people on both sides of the 02:22.440 --> 02:25.660 border . CBP is fully committed to 02:26.330 --> 02:29.059 interrupting this deadly pipeline 02:29.550 --> 02:31.717 through advanced targeting , utilizing 02:31.717 --> 02:33.860 non-intrusive inspection technology , 02:34.149 --> 02:36.539 K9 teams , and boots on the ground 02:36.539 --> 02:38.317 vigilance . We are intercepting 02:38.317 --> 02:41.190 dangerous weapons before they leave our 02:41.190 --> 02:43.309 country , and we are not doing this 02:43.309 --> 02:46.220 work alone . Our partnership with ATF 02:46.500 --> 02:49.300 and Homeland Security investigations is 02:49.300 --> 02:52.539 integral to our success . Together we 02:52.539 --> 02:54.483 investigate not only the smuggling 02:54.483 --> 02:56.706 events at the ports of entry , but work 02:56.706 --> 02:58.761 beyond the border in the interior of 02:58.761 --> 03:01.095 the United States to identify suppliers , 03:01.259 --> 03:03.449 smuggling networks , and trafficking 03:03.449 --> 03:05.710 routes . Through this strong 03:05.710 --> 03:09.339 collaboration between CBP , ATF , 03:09.710 --> 03:11.979 and HSI , we are able to work together 03:11.979 --> 03:14.919 as a force multiplier . And effectively 03:14.919 --> 03:17.080 disrupt and dismantle transnational 03:17.080 --> 03:19.240 criminal organizations involved in 03:19.240 --> 03:21.559 weapons trafficking and make America 03:21.559 --> 03:25.289 safer in the process . This joint 03:25.289 --> 03:27.122 effort extends into intelligence 03:27.122 --> 03:30.259 sharing . Coordinated enforcement 03:30.259 --> 03:33.009 operations and trend analysis so that 03:33.009 --> 03:34.953 we are not just reacting to what's 03:34.953 --> 03:37.176 happening , we're staying ahead of it . 03:37.699 --> 03:39.699 We are committed to identifying and 03:39.699 --> 03:41.699 eliminating the infrastructure that 03:41.699 --> 03:43.866 enables these organizations to operate 03:43.866 --> 03:45.970 within the United States . Recent 03:45.970 --> 03:47.970 executive orders have given us more 03:47.970 --> 03:50.026 tools and authority to dismantle the 03:50.026 --> 03:52.137 financial and operational networks of 03:52.137 --> 03:53.748 these transnational criminal 03:53.748 --> 03:55.692 organizations . It makes clear the 03:55.692 --> 03:57.692 United States will not tolerate the 03:57.692 --> 04:00.009 presence or influence of these groups 04:00.009 --> 04:02.509 within our borders . Not only that , 04:02.589 --> 04:04.669 the designation of certain cartels , 04:04.750 --> 04:08.270 many of them Mexico-based , as foreign 04:08.270 --> 04:10.326 terrorist organizations , comes with 04:10.326 --> 04:12.437 severe legal consequences , including 04:12.437 --> 04:14.589 terrorism enhanced charges . We will 04:14.589 --> 04:16.478 continue to work with our federal 04:16.478 --> 04:18.256 partners , with state and local 04:18.256 --> 04:21.789 enforcement . State and local law 04:21.789 --> 04:24.028 enforcement and with our counterparts 04:24.028 --> 04:26.361 in Mexico to combat this threat head on . 04:26.509 --> 04:28.979 It's a shared mission because safety , 04:29.079 --> 04:32.308 stability and justice knows no borders . 04:33.200 --> 04:35.089 Let me take a moment to thank the 04:35.089 --> 04:36.978 dedicated officers , agents , and 04:36.978 --> 04:39.640 analysts from all our agencies . The 04:39.640 --> 04:42.440 work they do day in and day out saves 04:42.440 --> 04:45.200 lives and protects communities . We are 04:45.200 --> 04:47.679 united in purpose , vigilant in 04:47.679 --> 04:50.000 execution , and unwavering in our 04:50.000 --> 04:52.222 commitment to national security . Thank 04:52.222 --> 04:52.200 you . 04:59.630 --> 05:01.630 All right . And now bringing , I'll 05:01.630 --> 05:03.686 bring you to the podium , uh , Craig 05:03.686 --> 05:05.574 Labe . He is the SAC for Homeland 05:05.574 --> 05:07.686 Security Investigationss based out of 05:07.686 --> 05:09.797 the , the SAC office in San Antonio . 05:13.049 --> 05:15.105 Good afternoon everybody . Thank you 05:15.105 --> 05:17.382 for being here on this important topic . 05:17.382 --> 05:19.493 Uh , my name is Craig Laine . I'm the 05:19.493 --> 05:21.327 special agent in charge with ICE 05:21.327 --> 05:23.549 Homeland Security Investigationss based 05:23.549 --> 05:25.771 in San Antonio , Texas . My operational 05:25.771 --> 05:27.993 responsibility includes almost all of , 05:27.993 --> 05:30.140 all of South Texas , including the 05:30.140 --> 05:32.307 border starting in Del Rio all the way 05:32.307 --> 05:34.362 down to the Rio Grande Valley . Um , 05:34.450 --> 05:37.250 HSI's mission is vast , but one of the 05:37.250 --> 05:39.472 pieces of our mission is the movement , 05:39.472 --> 05:41.417 the illegal movement of people and 05:41.417 --> 05:43.194 goods across the border . So we 05:43.194 --> 05:45.250 investigate any of the organizations 05:45.250 --> 05:47.139 involved in the legal movement of 05:47.139 --> 05:50.380 people and goods . People coming in , 05:50.790 --> 05:53.709 uh , narcotics coming in , firearms and 05:53.709 --> 05:56.029 money going out . So this is one of our 05:56.029 --> 05:59.470 major pieces of uh investigative uh 05:59.470 --> 06:03.170 priorities . The gun violence in 06:03.170 --> 06:05.337 Mexico , as everybody here knows , has 06:05.337 --> 06:07.392 steadily increased in recent years . 06:07.929 --> 06:11.049 Many of those incidents involve weapons 06:11.049 --> 06:12.938 that are smuggled from the United 06:12.938 --> 06:14.993 States . These come from the various 06:14.993 --> 06:17.529 mechanisms which uh my ATF counterpart 06:17.529 --> 06:19.769 will speak to through straw purchases . 06:21.119 --> 06:24.579 And ultimately the illegal smuggling of 06:24.579 --> 06:26.570 those firearms across the border . 06:26.899 --> 06:29.739 That's where HSI partners with ATF and 06:29.739 --> 06:32.380 CBP to increase our interdictive 06:32.380 --> 06:35.260 efforts to stop the firearms . We want 06:35.260 --> 06:39.140 to uh . Identify the complete network 06:39.239 --> 06:41.350 and arrest as many people involved in 06:41.350 --> 06:43.649 these networks of smuggling , but most 06:43.649 --> 06:45.816 importantly , we need to interdict the 06:45.816 --> 06:47.705 weapons before they go out of the 06:47.705 --> 06:49.649 country , and that's where CBP has 06:49.649 --> 06:51.649 stepped up their efforts and does a 06:51.649 --> 06:53.871 tremendous job on outbound operations . 06:54.269 --> 06:57.510 Um , in 2020 we started an operation 06:57.510 --> 06:59.709 called Without a Trace . It's a joint 06:59.709 --> 07:02.899 effort from DHS and ATF to work 07:02.899 --> 07:05.010 collaboratively to share intelligence 07:05.010 --> 07:07.989 and to go after the uh organizations 07:07.989 --> 07:10.045 involved in the illegal smuggling of 07:10.045 --> 07:13.140 weapons . This has increased since the 07:13.140 --> 07:15.910 change in administrations where we have 07:16.299 --> 07:18.540 dedicated additional resources to going 07:18.540 --> 07:20.609 after the cartels . Now that they're 07:20.609 --> 07:22.779 designated as foreign terrorist 07:22.779 --> 07:25.100 organizations , we can increase our 07:25.100 --> 07:27.267 efforts and increase the penalties for 07:27.267 --> 07:28.267 those involved . 07:31.369 --> 07:33.290 Because of this whole government 07:33.290 --> 07:35.829 operation , we've seen an increase in 07:35.829 --> 07:38.890 our common mission picture and 07:38.890 --> 07:41.929 breakdown of silos in which information 07:41.929 --> 07:44.290 is shared readily and quickly . South 07:44.290 --> 07:46.290 Texas has always been a place where 07:46.290 --> 07:48.401 that happens regularly , but now it's 07:48.401 --> 07:50.123 happening across all of the US 07:50.123 --> 07:53.119 government . Although we represent 07:53.119 --> 07:55.286 different agencies , we share the same 07:55.286 --> 07:57.452 commitment to fighting the epidemic of 07:57.452 --> 07:59.230 gun violence that has shattered 07:59.230 --> 08:01.452 communities across our country and with 08:01.452 --> 08:02.452 a partner self . 08:05.880 --> 08:07.799 With that , um , thank you . 08:14.660 --> 08:16.827 And lastly , we'll bring to the podium 08:16.827 --> 08:19.519 Mike Liddell . He's the sack for uh the 08:19.519 --> 08:21.686 Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms 08:21.686 --> 08:23.908 and Explosives out of the Houston Field 08:23.908 --> 08:23.380 Division . 08:30.739 --> 08:32.961 Hi , good afternoon everybody . Again , 08:32.961 --> 08:35.190 my name is Mike Weddell and has stated 08:35.190 --> 08:37.357 I'm the uh special agent in charge for 08:37.357 --> 08:39.523 the ATF for the Houston Field Division 08:39.523 --> 08:41.690 and what you see here before today are 08:41.690 --> 08:43.801 the fires that are on this table . It 08:43.801 --> 08:45.468 is the , uh , collector , the 08:45.468 --> 08:47.301 collective investigations or the 08:47.301 --> 08:49.134 resources of our agencies coming 08:49.134 --> 08:50.968 together with Customs and Border 08:50.968 --> 08:52.690 Protection , Homeland Security 08:52.690 --> 08:54.634 investigation , our state and many 08:54.634 --> 08:56.690 local partners that we have that the 08:56.690 --> 08:59.023 success that we share in these seizures . 08:59.023 --> 09:00.857 And so ATF's main mission is the 09:00.857 --> 09:03.079 reduction of violent crime . And so our 09:03.079 --> 09:05.190 way of doing that is to stop the flow 09:05.190 --> 09:07.079 of firearms that leave the United 09:07.079 --> 09:09.246 States and they are attained for legal 09:09.246 --> 09:11.357 means to be uh sent uh in this case , 09:11.357 --> 09:13.301 you know , we're we're referencing 09:13.301 --> 09:15.523 Mexico . Where they are there to help , 09:15.570 --> 09:17.237 you know , further these drug 09:17.237 --> 09:19.126 trafficking organizations , these 09:19.126 --> 09:20.903 terrorist organizations as they 09:20.903 --> 09:22.737 continue their , you know , that 09:22.737 --> 09:24.959 ongoing violence , uh , as they look to 09:24.959 --> 09:27.250 expand their territory and in turn to 09:27.250 --> 09:29.250 create those networks to send , you 09:29.250 --> 09:31.306 know , and all the traffic of people 09:31.306 --> 09:33.472 but of illegal narcotics back into the 09:33.472 --> 09:35.583 United States and so it's just , it's 09:35.583 --> 09:37.528 an ugly cycle of violence . And so 09:37.528 --> 09:39.750 oftentimes ATF , in addition to working 09:39.750 --> 09:41.917 with our partners , uh , we , we focus 09:41.917 --> 09:43.528 at , you know , not only the 09:43.528 --> 09:45.694 traffickers but also the purchasers of 09:45.694 --> 09:47.750 the firearms . We have programs that 09:47.750 --> 09:49.972 don't lie for the other guy , which are 09:49.972 --> 09:51.972 individuals that they lie on the uh 09:51.972 --> 09:54.139 government forms when they go to a gun 09:54.139 --> 09:56.361 store and state that they are the owner 09:56.361 --> 09:58.583 for the firearms and when , when , when 09:58.583 --> 09:58.380 they actually intend to buy that 09:58.380 --> 10:00.380 firearm on behalf of someone else , 10:00.380 --> 10:02.547 which is then to be trafficked outside 10:02.547 --> 10:05.179 of the country . And so this is a crime 10:05.179 --> 10:07.068 that working with our our federal 10:07.068 --> 10:09.229 partners with HSI and CBP that we're 10:09.229 --> 10:11.118 gonna continue to investigate and 10:11.118 --> 10:13.229 prosecute and so the the thing that I 10:13.229 --> 10:15.859 would like to highlight is that you 10:15.859 --> 10:17.970 know the the worst case story that we 10:17.970 --> 10:20.137 ever hear the the the ones that end in 10:20.137 --> 10:21.859 tragedy are the fires that are 10:21.859 --> 10:24.026 recovered in Mexico . But here , these 10:24.026 --> 10:26.192 firearms , each one being individually 10:26.192 --> 10:28.248 of the individual case , are success 10:28.248 --> 10:30.359 stories . These are the result of the 10:30.359 --> 10:32.581 uh collective partnerships . And so for 10:32.581 --> 10:34.549 that ATF , we pledge our continued 10:34.549 --> 10:36.716 support to work with our , our CBP and 10:36.716 --> 10:39.450 HSI partners and I thank you for your 10:39.450 --> 10:40.450 time today . 10:46.900 --> 10:48.789 All right , so that concludes the 10:48.789 --> 10:51.179 formal remarks , uh , section of the 10:51.179 --> 10:53.780 event . Uh , we'll have , uh , one on 10:53.780 --> 10:56.002 one interviews with the , the different 10:56.002 --> 10:58.224 officials from the different agencies . 10:58.224 --> 11:00.391 We also have , uh , officials that can 11:00.391 --> 11:02.613 do interviews in Spanish . So , uh , we 11:02.613 --> 11:04.780 can just go off to the side and , uh , 11:04.780 --> 11:06.836 do those one on one interviews , and 11:06.836 --> 11:09.169 we'll have public affairs officers from , 11:09.169 --> 11:11.260 uh , CBP , HSI and ATF that will be 11:11.260 --> 11:13.316 able to , to guide you accordingly . 11:13.316 --> 11:13.580 Thanks .