Western Hemisphere Region

OPDAT’s Western Hemisphere Programs (WHP) team provides specialized technical assistance to foreign prosecutors, judges, and investigators throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, most often through the deployment of experienced Resident Legal Advisors (RLAs). Currently, there are 3 programs and 2 RLAs in the region. OPDAT’s WHP programs - funded by the U.S. Department of State - place a large emphasis on helping countries transition to the accusatory system and providing case-based technical guidance on complex investigations involving transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, illegal migrant smuggling/trafficking, and gang crimes. Through case-based technical guidance, OPDAT supports DOJ’s Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) on its human smuggling / trafficking cases and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) aimed at dismantling MS-13 and other transnational criminal organizations.

WHP Programs

Colombia: The Colombia program was initiated in 2001 as a U.S. law enforcement umbrella assistance program under Plan Colombia and was implemented jointly by OPDAT, ICITAP, and the U.S. Marshals Service. OPDAT’s signature project was the implementation of a new criminal procedure code enacted in 2005 and building the capacity of all parties to work under the new adversarial criminal justice system. Other programs included the establishment of victim assistance centers, an extensive witness protection and court security program, and providing technical guidance to a specialized national unit for organized crime. OPDAT spearheaded the creation of specialized working groups, in conjunction with the AGO, to provide case-based technical guidance to prosecutors who investigate and prosecute key crimes committed by TCOs and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) including drug trafficking, illegal migrant smuggling, corruption, and money laundering.

OPDAT added the Rural Security Sector Development Working Group which provides case-based technical guidance to prosecutors in rural areas significantly affected by TCOs and FTOs. Given the smaller scale of the criminal justice systems in these areas, OPDAT’s guidance yielded results in complex transnational cases including arrests and convictions of members of various subgroups of Clan del Golfo and Tren de Aragua. Additionally, OPDAT has developed bench books and guides which have been implemented by the Colombian judiciary and prosecutors to streamline hearings and processes for a more efficient judicial system. These guides are being shared and modified by countries within the region

Guatemala: OPDAT deployed its first RLA in 2017. Our work focuses on providing technical assistance and case mentoring in relation to illegal migrant smuggling and related crimes committed by TCOs. OPDAT coordinates with JTFA’s regional investigative efforts with the Northern Triangle, Mexico, and the United States. The RLA played a crucial role in facilitating two of the largest, multilateral illegal migrant smuggling cases to date: Caso San Antonio and Caso Chiapas. OPDAT has hosted regional illegal migration conferences for investigators and prosecutors and developed a working group to connect criminal justice sectors across the region for collaborative investigation.

Paraguay Counterterrorism Program: OPDAT’s AML-CT work in Paraguay began in 2015 and the RLA has supported counter-terrorism efforts in Paraguay and the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, which are hotbeds for terrorist fundraising. The RLA coordinates and provides technical assistance to counter terrorist financing and provides case-based technical guidance to build capacity to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorist and terrorist financing cases and seize assets from these crimes. With the support of OPDAT, the government of Paraguay designated Hamas, Hizballah, ISIS and Al Q’aida as FTOs. OPDAT provided extensive case-based technical guidance related to the arrest and extradition of a suspected terrorist and known money launderer to the U.S. and engaged on a Paraguayan companion case against the same man’s contraband smuggling network in the TBA. Furthermore, OPDAT advised on the Paraguayan side of other extradition cases to the United States, including those of a Mexican narco-pilot and a fugitive arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.