ICE Task Force Launched to Combat cross Border Crime in Southern California

El Centro, California - As part of its ongoing effort to combat cross-border crime and violence, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is launching a Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) in the Imperial Valley to target the criminal organizations and illegal activity that threaten the safety of residents on both sides of the border.

The ICE-led task force will be made up of officers from federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Bureau of Land Management and the Mexican law enforcement agency Secretaria de Seguridad Publica.

The Imperial Valley BEST, the 10th BEST group in the nation, will focus on combating the illegal movement of drugs, people and weapons across the border. The Task Force will also seek to identify cross-border tunnels and other potential safety and security risks. The BEST will be involved in all aspects of the enforcement process, from interdiction to prosecution. Ultimately, the group’s goal is to attack and dismantle the criminal organizations involved in cross-border illegal activity, such as narcotics and arms trafficking. In addition, the Task Force will target the violent gangs that pose a continuing threat to residents and law enforcement officers along the border in both the United States and Mexico.

“Cross-border crime is a serious threat to the safety and security of the American public,â€