NCJ Number
151822
Date Published
1994
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report by the U.S. General Accounting Office describes participation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), created in 1982 to conduct a comprehensive, multiagency attack on drug-related and money laundering activities.
Abstract
INS became a member of OCDETF in 1986 because of the increasing involvement of foreign-born individuals in serious crimes committed in the United States INS selected four pilot cities, as required by law, on the basis of the extent and seriousness of the local drug and criminal alien problems. Separate pilot staff and offices were established. While INS carried out OCDETF activities in all of its 33 district offices, staffing hours were concentrated in the four pilot cities and in the nine nonpilot core cities. As of January 1994, INS was involved in 257 OCDETF investigations: 27 as lead agency, 68 as co-lead agency, and 162 as an assisting agency. In its discussions with officials of other agencies, including 32 participating agency OCDETF coordinators, GAO found that these officials were very positive about INS participation in OCDETF investigations. 1 table, 3 figures, and 4 appendixes