Oregon — The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have launched a new joint initiative to combat violent crime linked to transnational criminal organizations operating on U.S. soil. Fully implemented in September 2025, the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) are now active in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
These interagency teams unite FBI and HSI agents with state, local, and federal partners to investigate major crimes such as drug and human trafficking, money laundering, weapons smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping. The initiative stems from Executive Order 14159, signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025, directing the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to dismantle foreign cartels and transnational criminal organizations threatening U.S. communities.
“The Homeland Security Task Forces are at the forefront of our fight to keep international criminal networks from victimizing innocent Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel, who described the program as essential to restoring law and order. The initiative aligns with the broader federal campaign Your FBI: Crushing Violent Crime, which emphasizes collaboration across agencies to safeguard national security.
Each task force operates under a three-tier structure: local HSTFs handle investigations; Central Operations and Regional Enforcement (CORE) offices provide coordination and intelligence; and a National Coordination Center (NCC) synchronizes operations nationwide. The NCC, co-led by the FBI and HSI, draws on expertise from over 15 federal agencies, including the DEA, Secret Service, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service.
According to FBI Section Chief Mark Remily, the HSTFs represent an unprecedented level of interagency coordination: “The government has never before had a centralized platform to coordinate the fight against transnational threats this comprehensively.”
Investigations will focus on foreign gangs and cartels that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), with an emphasis on disrupting entire criminal enterprises rather than individual crimes. The FBI and HSI will evaluate success through community impact, increased arrests, and international extraditions.
While immigration enforcement is not a primary focus, Remily noted it may be used strategically during investigations. The overarching goal is to leverage intelligence sharing, resource coordination, and federal partnership to dismantle the infrastructure of violent global crime networks reaching into the United States.
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