DHS launches New York transnational crime task force
Homeland Security Investigations New York announced the Homeland Security Task Force New York on Dec. 10, 2025, a first-of-its-kind interagency unit to target transnational organized crime using a unified, whole-of-government framework. HSI SAC Ricky J. Patel, FBI NY ADIC Christopher G. Raia, and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the task force will pursue crimes from homicide and human trafficking to money laundering and weapons/drug trafficking, leveraging new authorities following foreign terrorist organization designations of violent cartels and gangs.
đ Key Facts
- HSI SAC Ricky J. Patel announced the HSTF New York at a Dec. 10 press conference in NYC
- The task force targets homicide, human trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping, extortion, drug and weapons trafficking
- Officials cited recent actions: 18 arrests in a Washington Square Park narcotics sweep and an August 2025 case charging 7 leaders of a Mexico-based DTO
đ Relevant Data
New York City's Venezuelan immigrant population has surged to approximately 136,000 since 2022, becoming one of the largest new immigrant groups.
Social Explorer Identifies NYC's Largest New Immigrant Group â Social Explorer
Members and associates of the Tren de Aragua gang have been arrested 517 times in New York City in 2024, involving crimes such as robbery, assault, and sex offenses.
Migrant gang Tren de Aragua and 'associates' racked up 517 NYC busts this year: sources â New York Post
In 2020, Black Americans were 9.3 times as likely as Whites to be homicide victims, with American Indians 4.3 times as likely and Latinos 2.3 times as likely; population percentages: Blacks 13.4%, Whites 60.1%, Latinos 18.5% of U.S. population.
One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing â The Sentencing Project
The highest homicide rates in the U.S. from 1999 to 2020 were among Black males aged 15 to 24 years at 74.6 per 100,000 population and 25 to 44 years at 70.0 per 100,000, compared to overall rates.
Homicide Rates Across County, Race, Ethnicity, Age, and Sex in the US, 1999-2020 â JAMA Network Open
Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have significant influence in drug distribution in New York, contributing to fentanyl and other drug trafficking as per the 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment.