ICE says public tip line generates investigative leads

Tip line specialist

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s public tip lines have become a valuable source of investigative leads, said the agency on Jan. 18.

The agency said a tip called in to the line helped close down a human smuggling ring in Austin, TX, where illegal aliens were taken from their home country without their consent and held by smugglers for ransom until family members paid exorbitant smuggling fees. It also said tips helped find and arrest a violent MS-13 gang member, who was in the country illegally, was living and working near Silver Spring, MD.

 ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip Line (866) DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423), received nearly 172,500 reported tips in 20011. On the receiving end of the calls are a team of special agents, intelligence research specialists and law enforcement specialists, said ICE. All are highly trained in a number of laws related to worksite enforcement, document and benefit fraud, intellectual property rights, money laundering, drug smuggling, child pornography and human trafficking.

The public can provide information on a wide variety of criminal activity, from terrorism, drug smuggling, money laundering, and human trafficking to import/export violations, child exploitation, document and benefit Fraud, gang-related crimes, intellectual property rights violations and worksite enforcement.

The capabilities are based at ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) in Williston, VT, which provides law enforcement across the country information on the immigration status and identity of individuals who have been arrested or are under investigation for criminal activity.

LESC technicians can access a wide range of databases and intelligence sources. The facility also analyzes and disseminates information received from the public about suspicious or criminal activity.

At the end of fiscal 2011, the tip line expanded its operations with an online form. Since its launch, more than 1,500 individuals have logged onto ice.gov/tips to report suspicious criminal activity, said ICE.

"When reporting a crime, a person should report the nature of the crime and be specific and detailed as possible," said David Palmatier, tip line unit chief. "If we have more details, we can more efficiently investigate a tip."

Callers can expect minimal wait times to speak to a tip line specialist, said the agency and average phone calls take less than five minutes to complete. The ICE HSI Tip Line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.