U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Egyptian Administrative Control Authority (ACA). This agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two entities through sharing expertise, information, and other collaborative activities. The MOU was signed during ACA General and Undersecretary Hesham Abdelghafar's visit to Washington.
The ACA functions as Egypt’s investigative branch focusing on anti-corruption, fraud, financial issues, customs, and regulatory matters. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a significant part of the Department of Homeland Security, tasked with tackling criminal organizations that exploit America’s travel, trade, financial, and immigration systems.
“ICE and the ACA work jointly to prevent the exploitation of our international borders via transnational criminal organizations and corruption,” stated ICE HSI Acting Assistant Director Leo Lin. “By signing this MOU, we have further strengthened the ability of ICE and the ACA to combat these shared threats together.”
HSI Cairo has maintained a productive partnership with the ACA. The authority has participated in various HSI-led training sessions such as Cross Border Financial Investigations Training, Public Funds Investigations Training, and Financial Prosecution Training.
In September 2017, an HSI Cairo delegation accompanied an ACA senior team to visit Department of Homeland Security facilities across New England. During this trip, ACA members boarded a Coast Guard Cutter and received operational briefings from several centers including the HSI Bulk Cash Smuggling Center.
“The ACA has evolved into one of ICE’s top international partners due to their vast authorities, professionalism, and relentless pursuit of transnational criminal enterprise,” said HSI Cairo Country Attaché Bryan Lewis.
The collaboration between ICE and ACA has been crucial in numerous investigations. This includes an investigation by HSI Las Vegas concerning credit card data theft: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-dismantles-massive-cyberfraud-enterprise-cost-victims-530-million.
For more information about HSI: https://www.ice.gov/hsi.