The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the creation of the first-ever Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) in New York City. Co-led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI, the task force brings together federal, state, and local agencies to combat major criminal threats.
00:00Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ricky Patel. I'm the Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations, HSI, here in New York.
00:22It is an honor to come together to announce what can only be described as a historic day for law enforcement collaboration in New York City.
00:30As announced by the President on October 23, 2025, establishing Homeland Security Task Forces, or HSTFs, around the country, today you will hear from my colleagues and I about the formation of the HSTF here in New York,
00:45which is co-led by HSI and the FBI with significant collaboration and coordination by the U.S. Attorney's Offices in the Eastern District and Southern District of New York,
00:57as well as nearly all law enforcement agencies here in the Empire State.
01:02This task force is the first of its kind. Using a whole-of-government approach, through a unified framework, the HSTFs serve as a model for protecting the homeland from evolving threats presented by transnational organized crime.
01:18The mission of the HSTF is to identify and target for prosecution transnational criminal organizations engaged in diverse criminal schemes involving a myriad of federal violations both within the United States and throughout the world.
01:35Violations include, but are not limited to, drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons trafficking, human trafficking, homicide, extortion, kidnapping, and other TCO-related violations where there is or may be a federal investigative interest.
01:54The HSTF represents the power of partnership, combining federal, state, and local resources to address these threats more effectively than any agency can alone.
02:06With me today, we have leaders from some of the partner agencies that comprise the HSTF New York.
02:13The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,
02:21Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service.
02:31First, you will hear from some of the leaders behind the formation of the HSTF New York.
02:35We will then have a brief signing ceremony, followed by on-topic questions, and the opportunity for pull-aside interviews.
02:42And now, I would like to turn it over to Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
02:51Thank you, Rick.
02:55Good afternoon.
02:57Today's announcement of our whole-of-government commitment to homeland security is, at its core, about public safety for all New Yorkers.
03:07New Yorkers want public safety.
03:10They want our parks, schools, subways, and streets to be both safe places and places that feel safe for our families, our children, and our visitors.
03:23At the Southern District, across the Justice Department, and across law enforcement, with our federal and state partners,
03:32we hear what New Yorkers want, and we are laser-focused on delivering it for them.
03:36Crime is down, but it is still way above where it should be, particularly for our most vulnerable.
03:45And that's really what this is all about.
03:48It's about delivering public safety for the most vulnerable people in New York.
03:55It's down because of the hard work of the men and women behind me.
04:01Let me give you a few highlights over the last year.
04:03Our agencies have collectively investigated and charged murders, shootings, stabbings, sex trafficking, and narcotics distribution by Trende Aragua, TDA, and many other brutally violent gangs.
04:19We've charged over a dozen narco-terrorists and members of state-sponsored drug cartels.
04:24We've charged multiple people with fentanyl distribution and precursor production.
04:32Gun charges, federal gun charges, are being brought at twice the rate of previous years.
04:38And most recently, we had a wide sweep of narcotics trafficking in and around Washington Square Park.
04:45The Washington Square Park effort exemplifies what we can do with a whole-of-law-enforcement approach to public safety.
04:55A few data points.
04:57From 2020 to 2023 alone, more than 10,000 people died of fatal drug poisoning in New York City.
05:06Washington Square Park was an epicenter of this crisis.
05:10During that period, the NYPD and medical personnel responded to over 65 reports of apparent overdoses in the park.
05:19With the great men and women of the New York Police Department, the DEA, and our other federal partners, those days are behind us.
05:28This is an example that we're going to follow going forward.
05:31We look forward to making New York safer each and every day for every person in New York.
05:39I'm now going to introduce Mike Considine, the first assistant from the Eastern District of New York.
05:45Mike?
05:48Thank you, Jay.
05:49Good afternoon.
05:50As Jay mentioned, I'm Mike Considine, first assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn.
05:54The United States Attorney, Mr. Nacella, is on sick leave today and sends us regrets for not being with his esteemed HSTF partners.
06:03This historic collaboration occurring with this task force strengthens our mission to defend the citizens of our districts,
06:10from the transnational criminal organizations, which Jay mentioned, human smugglers, and cyber criminals,
06:16who inflict tremendous damage to our country.
06:19And we've already seen remarkable results.
06:21For example, our office is prosecuting the infamous cartel leader, RCQ, Rafael Caro Cantero,
06:29who was charged with the murder of DEA agent Kiki Camerano.
06:34What's more, our collective efforts have led to the conviction of El Mayo,
06:38Ismael Zambada Garcia, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel.
06:42He operated a continuing criminal enterprise that trafficked massive quantities of fentanyl,
06:48cocaine, and other drugs into the United States.
06:52Lastly, we are working to cut off alternate revenue streams for the Jalisco Cartel,
06:58designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
07:00And to that end, we charge two individuals,
07:03Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon and Carlos Andre Rivera Varela,
07:09with providing material terrorism support through a sprawling timeshare fraud scheme targeting American citizens.
07:17A wanted poster depicting these defendants is being released today.
07:22We would be remiss if we did not also express our appreciation for all of our agency partners,
07:28those here today and those who could not be with us.
07:31We are all collectively committed to improving the quality of life for our citizens
07:36by dismantling these corrupt organizations from their very top.
07:41I may now turn over the podium to Chris Rea, assistant director in charge of the FBI New York field office.
07:48All right, thank you, Mike.
07:58Again, I'm Christopher Rea.
08:00I'm the assistant director of the FBI's New York field office.
08:03Today, along with my colleagues, I'm proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other federal, state, and local partners
08:12to announce the first of its kind.
08:15I'm the assistant director of the FBI's New York field office.
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