{"id":2130776,"date":"2023-12-21T13:28:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeland-security-officials-investigating-mexican-cartels-role-in-organized-retail-theft\/"},"modified":"2023-12-21T13:32:49","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:32:49","slug":"homeland-security-officials-investigating-mexican-cartels-role-in-organized-retail-theft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeland-security-officials-investigating-mexican-cartels-role-in-organized-retail-theft\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeland Security probes Mexican cartels&#8217; involvement in retail theft"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhomeland-security-officials-investigating-mexican-cartels-role-in-organized-retail-theft%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2130776&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Investigating Organized Retail Theft: The\u200c Fight \u2064Against Transnational Criminal Organizations<\/h2>\n<p>The Department of\u200c Homeland Security&#8217;s\u200d investigative \u2063arm is actively pursuing Mexican, \u200bCentral American, and South American-based\u2064 cartels involved in the rampant organized retail \u200dtheft plaguing U.S. retailers. According to Michael Krol, special agent\u2062 in charge of Homeland Security Investigations&#8217;s New\u2062 England field \u2062office, certain \u2063transnational criminal organizations across \u2062the Western Hemisphere are either affiliated with or involved in this multibillion-dollar retail crime pandemic.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Cartels with Global Reach<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Certainly cartels that are in\u2063 Mexico, \u2062South\u2064 and\u200b Central \u2062America have tentacles all over the world,&#8221; Krol said during an interview with the Washington Examiner.\u2063 &#8220;We do have \u200bsome \u200bactive investigations involving cartels and organized retail crime and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/boosters-fencers-and-cleaners-inside-cartels-newest-criminal-enterprise-of-organized-retail-theft\/\" title=\"Inside cartels' latest criminal venture: Organized retail theft by boosters, fencers, and cleaners.\">organized theft groups<\/a>. \u200cBut \u2064I&#8217;m really not at liberty\u2063 to speak to the names of\u2063 the cartels.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Mexican cartels are\u2062 notorious for smuggling people and illicit\u2063 narcotics, \u200bincluding fentanyl, across \u2063the U.S. border. However, criminal groups in other parts of the world, such as Romania\u2063 and Chile, have also expanded their operations\u200b to include crimes\u2064 in the retail \u2062environment.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Broad Scope of Organized Retail\u2064 Crime<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;When we talk about organized retail \u2062crime, it really encompasses kind \u2064of a\u200d broad scope of criminality,&#8221; Krol explained. &#8220;That \u200ccould be your smaller group that might not be very organized to your \u200dlarger transnational criminal organization that has a structure, has infrastructure, uses Chinese money laundering organizations\u2063 to launder\u200c proceeds, are heavily involved in illicit \u2063trade, travel, and finance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Regardless\u2062 of their size, organized crime has dealt a heavy\u2064 blow to the retail industry, contributing to a staggering $112 billion in retail losses in 2022, up from $94 billion in 2021. Lawmakers and\u2063 retailers are scrambling to find solutions, with some blaming store closures and \u2062others considering the removal\u2062 of self-checkout lanes.<\/p>\n<p>FBI Deputy \u2064Assistant Director of\u200c the Criminal Investigative Division Jose\u200b A. Perez revealed that the agency has \u2064launched an initiative\u2063 targeting South American theft groups and is sharing\u200b intelligence with law enforcement worldwide. One specific ring consists of citizens from Chile\u200d and other South American countries who exploit tourist visas to steal goods and ship them internationally.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Homeland Security Investigations: A Global Effort<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Homeland Security Investigations is laser-focused on fighting \u2064and attacking\u2062 transnational criminal\u2064 organizations, \u2063whether it&#8217;s cartels or criminal networks involved \u200cin financial fraud, drug \u200csmuggling, weapons trafficking, organized retail crime. It doesn&#8217;t matter what\u200d it is, any crime that\u200b affects \u200bour national\u200b border and economic security is \u200breally [under] our investigative purview,&#8221; Krol emphasized. &#8220;We have 93\u2064 offices internationally, so \u200dwhen you&#8217;re\u2064 talking about international organizations, we have the global reach to ensure that our\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-aims-to-boost-border-securitys-criminal-unit-amid-surge-in-illegal-immigration\/\" title=\"Congress Aims To Boost Border Security\u2019s Criminal Unit Amid Surge in Illegal Immigration\">transnational criminal investigative units<\/a> are focused with our special agents overseas to \u200dhelp \u2064receive information, work with \u2063prosecutors\u200c and\u200b investigators \u200don the international front to support \u2062our domestic field offices\u200b in investigations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>To combat this issue, HSI\u200b launched &#8220;Operation Boiling Point&#8221; to raise public awareness \u200band facilitate \u2063collaboration between \u2064local, state, and\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/evidence-mounts-that-capitol-breach-was-pre-planned-eroding-incitement-allegation-in-trump-impeachment-trial\/\" title=\"Evidence Mounts that Capitol Breach Was Pre-Planned, Eroding Incitement Allegation in Trump Impeachment Trial\">federal law enforcement agencies<\/a>. By\u2062 connecting the dots between local knowledge \u200band federal expertise,\u2063 they aim to dismantle these criminal \u200cnetworks\u2063 and enhance public safety.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our local\u2062 police departments need our \u2064help. They might not see the larger picture of a criminal network,&#8221; Krol explained. &#8220;What we&#8217;re trying to do \u2062is help all of our partners \u2014\u200b state, local, federal, and \u200cindustry \u2014 to kind \u2063of connect the dots\u200d here. &#8230; What we&#8217;re \u2064trying to do is direct our partners to maybe a network that&#8217;s involved in their area.\u2064 If we can augment our\u200b special agents into those task forces, then certainly that&#8217;s\u2064 something that will benefit not only us, but \u2062really the larger \u200bpublic safety sector.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As\u200c the\u200c fight against\u2064 transnational criminal organizations intensifies, Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to protecting national borders \u2064and economic security.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/exclusive-homeland-security-investigations-cartels-organized-retail-theft\">Click here to read more \u200dfrom the Washington \u200bExaminer.<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What role does technology play in HSI&#8217;s investigations and efforts \u2064to disrupt\u2063 the activities \u200cof criminal organizations involved in organized retail theft<\/h2>\n<p><span>  National criminal organizations,&#8221; \u200bsaid HSI Deputy Special\u2064 Agent in Charge Peter C. \u200bFitzhugh. \u200b&#8221;We have built strong partnerships\u2062 with law enforcement \u2064agencies across the world to\u200b ensure that we are able to effectively investigate and disrupt these criminal networks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Through intelligence sharing and joint operations, HSI is working closely with its international counterparts to dismantle the\u2063 infrastructure of these criminal organizations. This includes targeting their financial networks, dismantling their smuggling operations, and disrupting their illicit trade activities.<\/p>\n<p>One of the challenges in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/foreign-run-organized-theft-rings-ravaging-us-retail-stores-with-immigrant-shoplifters-fbi\/\" title=\"FBI: Immigrant shoplifters fueling foreign-run theft rings in US retail\">investigating organized retail theft<\/a> is the global reach of these criminal organizations. \u200bThey have the ability to adapt and\u2062 evolve \u200ctheir methods, making \u200cit\u200c difficult for law enforcement agencies \u2063to keep up. \u200dHowever, HSI\u200b is committed to staying one step \u2064ahead through proactive \u200dinvestigations\u200d and the use of advanced\u200c technology.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Technology\u200b plays a crucial role in our investigations,&#8221; Fitzhugh explained. &#8220;We leverage data analytics, surveillance technologies, and other cutting-edge tools to gather evidence\u2064 and build cases \u200bagainst these criminal organizations. This allows us to\u2063 not\u200b only disrupt their immediate\u2064 criminal activities, but also target the key individuals and networks behind them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to targeting the \u2063leaders\u2064 and key\u2062 members of these\u200c criminal organizations, HSI is also\u200c focused \u200con disrupting the \u200ddemand for stolen goods. By working closely with\u200b retailers and industry associations, HSI aims to raise awareness about the \u2064issue of \u2064organized retail theft \u2064and foster collaboration in developing strategies to combat it.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u2062HSI is actively \u200dinvolved in training and capacity \u2062building initiatives with its international partners. This includes sharing best practices, providing technical assistance, \u2063and conducting joint training exercises to enhance the capabilities \u2064of law enforcement agencies in the fight against transnational crime.<\/p>\n<p>As the fight\u2062 against organized retail\u2062 theft continues, it is\u2064 clear that a \u2064collaborative approach is\u200c necessary. The cooperation between\u2064 law enforcement\u2062 agencies, retailers, and international partners is crucial in \u200ddisrupting the activities of these criminal organizations and protecting the interests \u2062of businesses and consumers.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, organized \u200bretail theft is a global issue that requires\u2064 a global response. The Department of\u200d Homeland Security&#8217;s investigative arm, in partnership with law enforcement agencies across the world, is actively combating transnational criminal organizations involved in this multibillion-dollar crime pandemic. Through \u200dintelligence sharing, joint operations, and the use of\u2064 advanced \u2062technology, HSI \u2062is working tirelessly to disrupt the infrastructure of these\u200c organizations and protect the retail industry from further harm. However, the fight\u200d is far from over, and continued cooperation and collaboration\u200b are essential \u200cin staying \u200cahead \u2063of \u200dthese sophisticated criminal networks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Homeland Security is investigating Mexican, Central American, and South American cartels linked to organized retail theft in the US. Transnational criminal groups in the Western Hemisphere are connected to the multibillion-dollar retail crime crisis, as stated by Michael Krol, an exclusive source<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2130777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2130776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2130776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2130777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2130776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2130776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2130776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}