HSI Executive Associate Director elected chair of World Customs Organization Enforcement Committee

Last month marked a milestone for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI Executive Associate Director James A. Dinkins was elected chair of the World Customs Organization's enforcement committee at its four-day meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The committee was established in 1983 to develop strategies to combat customs offenses.

"Representing HSI and working with the World Customs Organization in this capacity is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and create new possibilities for operations related to customs enforcement around the world," said Dinkins. "Every day that HSI can build and foster successful relationships with foreign agencies and governments, is another day that criminals have fewer chances to profit at the expense of law abiding citizens worldwide."

Since 1952, the World Customs Organization has served as the only intergovernmental organization focused exclusively on customs matters. It is the voice of the global customs community, representing 176 members.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano's addressed the World Customs Organization in June 2011. She stressed the critical importance of working collaboratively to mitigate and understand emergent and evolving threats, analyzing risks and responding to security concerns. As a representative of HSI, the primary investigative agency for customs-related crime in the United States, Dinkins hopes to echo Secretary Napolitano's ideas in his new role as chair of the organization's enforcement committee.