Regional Collaboration to Combat Transnational Crime II, a part of the Towards a More Safe and Secure World Series

August 14-20, 2025

The esteemed visitors from Europe had a productive visit, meeting with law enforcement and security professionals here in Texas. The visitors are representatives from Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Italy, Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The group also took a day trip to Laredo, TX, to examine efforts to combat human trafficking and illegal migration in the context of one of the busiest land border crossings on the U.S.-Mexico  border. 

The group’s first meeting in San Antonio was with the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and SAPD personnel from the Special Victims Unit and Victim Advocacy and Sex Crimes Division. The SAPD representatives discussed community participation programs, the relationship between fighting crime and protecting the rights of the public and alleged criminals, transparency and accountability in the police force, and combating human trafficking. Additionally, a police ride-along was arranged for the visitors. 

Our visitors met with deputies and personnel at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), who shared BCSO’s work to address border security challenges on a local level and compare responsibilities between the Sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies.

The Director of the Warrior Defense Project, met with the delegates at the St. Mary’s University Center for Terrorism Law. This meeting focused on current and potential legal issues related to terrorism and the challenge of achieving and maintaining a proper balance between national security and civil liberties.  

The delegates met with the Assistant Special Agent in Charge, and Executive Director at the South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) to learn about the resources that HIDTA offers, including courses on investigative techniques, drug interdiction, intelligence sharing, counter-narcotics operations, and drug-trafficking trends.

The group visited the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Office to meet with representatives and special agents. In the meeting, they discussed the office’s role in countering human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking, and combating child exploitation and online crimes. 

During their day trip to Laredo, they met with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and Texas A&M International University. The visitors first met with special agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to highlight how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counters human trafficking and illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, addressing transnational issues and international cooperation at a land border. Additionally, the visitors were led on a tour of the border crossings and bridges. Afterwards, the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and representatives from Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) met with the visitors to discuss topics related to human trafficking and homeland security, and the importance of multi-agency cooperation to help identify and rescue victims. During their time in Laredo, three of the international delegates were interviewed by the Laredo Morning Times!