On Friday, 26 September 2014, a group of Dominican law enforcement officers graduated from the International Taskforce Agent Training (ITAT) program hosted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS). The course was held from 13 to 26 September at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia.
The group was made up of 17 national police officers, two prosecutors and officers from the tourist police (Cestur), Border Force (Cesfront), Armada (Navy) and Army. Officials from the Attorney General’s Office and the Customs Agency (DGA) also took part in the course as instructors.
Students spent two weeks in classroom seminars and practical exercises as part of the ITAT program, which provides vetted foreign law enforcement officers with training very similar to that of HSI’s special agents.
This is the second class of Dominican law enforcement officials that has graduated from the program. The first class, 14 students, graduated in May 2010.
“Transnational criminal organizations respect no nation’s boundaries, so it is vitally important for law enforcement agencies to work together across borders to ensure these criminals have no place to hide,” said Alexis Torres, HSI operations chief for Central and South America and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of the course.
“We have already seen the increased skills this training provides to our nation’s law enforcement programs,” said Dominican Republic National Police chief Major General Manuel Castro Castillo.
“This new class of graduates will have an immediate impact on our ability to counter the criminal organizations who threaten public safety in our communities,” commented Castro in an official press release on the graduation.