Remarks when preparing for delivery
Hello. Thank you for your warm welcome. It’s great to see this Great Hall so full of Interpol supporters.
Skip, thank you for your kind introduction and years of public service.
We are honored to join you in celebrating the 100th anniversary of INTERPOL and the 100th anniversary of international law enforcement cooperation.
I am also honored to welcome Secretary General Jürgen Stock to the Department of Justice. And I would like to thank INTERPOL for its steadfast leadership since 2014 and for his long and distinguished civil service career.
Under his leadership, Interpol has made significant progress in at least three ways.
First, we will modernize our technology and strengthen INTERPOL’s national central offices to create a truly global network.
This is the network we rely on every day to find fugitives and seek arrest abroad according to Interpol red notices so they can be handed over to be tried here. .
Second, Jürgen has helped make Interpol an important platform for multilateral coordination to combat terrorism and international and transnational crime. These range from creating a biometric database of foreign terrorist fighters to establishing networks for cooperation against environmental crime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of organized crime.
And third, Jürgen introduced safeguards, including the Notice and Proliferation Task Force, to ensure that Interpol’s notices are consistent with the Interpol Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are not misused by repressive regimes. bottom.
Jürgen is busy.
Our National Central Office recognizes every day the importance of these advances by the Secretary-General.
I also want to salute the women and men of the National Central Office and its outstanding leader, Mike Hughes. They have round-the-clock storage of critical information to arrest fugitives and protect the public, traveling to and from Interpol.
A friend of mine, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, John Tien (who is with us today, who is also our partner in staffing the National Central Administration), has made a statement about the vital importance of this job. I know you are joining me in recognizing the
We are celebrating another anniversary this year. It was 20 years before him that the Department of Justice and the Department of State established an organization to jointly manage Interpol Washington.
John, and the Department of Homeland Security, thank you for being here today and for partnering with us.
Interpol was launched at the Second International Criminal Police Congress in 1923. At this conference, he was one of 20 countries that also participated in the United States.
The central concept behind INTERPOL was to establish a means for police forces around the world to cooperate in solving crimes, especially through identity verification technology, centralized criminal records, and arrest and extradition procedures.
Today, INTERPOL is celebrating its 195th anniversary and will soon be 196th, but the nations are strong and the ideas that created it have expanded into myriad avenues for law enforcement cooperation around the world.
In 1923, member states communicated by mail, telegram and telephone, and homing pigeons made some progress, but not much. Now, through his dedicated 24/7 web-based communication system, law enforcement agencies around the world are instantly connected at the click of a mouse, exchanging millions of messages and insights annually.
Notification of INTERPOL by U.S. and foreign authorities is often the quickest and most effective way to locate and arrest criminals. Indeed, in many cases the presence of an Interpol red notice may be a prerequisite for arrest by another police force. Country of purpose of extradition.
In its early days, Interpol relied on paper and ink fingerprints to help identify criminals. Today, digital fingerprint systems, DNA profiles, and facial recognition images are used to verify thousands of identities each year.
Interpol makes it difficult for criminals and terrorists to travel with impunity through a blend of partnerships and technology.
INTERPOL is at the forefront of helping law enforcement agencies around the world meet their most pressing public safety and national security challenges. From terrorism and cybercrime to drug cartels and human trafficking, INTERPOL plays an increasingly important role in global security.
and step up scrutiny of requests, including through the Notification and Proliferation Task Force, to ensure that INTERPOL is not misused to facilitate cross-border repression as authoritarian states seek to demonstrate their power at home and abroad. I applaud Interpol’s decision to
INTERPOL provides critical links between law enforcement agencies around the world. And that global cooperation is evident here today, with so many leaders from all levels of law enforcement in attendance.
Throughout my career, from AUSA staff to advising the President on homeland security and counter-terrorism, to my current role as Deputy Attorney General, I have learned the value of cross-border law enforcement cooperation, and frankly, I have recognized the need for it.
And in many cases, Interpol has been that key link. I am sure that all law enforcement leaders here can share the example of Interpol playing a key role in important investigations.
INTERPOL’s notifications, databases and communication systems between member states work quietly behind the scenes and actively in investigations to prevent crime, disrupt organized crime, apprehend criminals and protect the public. I’m here.
Through Interpol Washington, America benefits from these resources and the international cooperation it needs to meet the 21st century challenges we all need to protect our people.
Hundreds of millions of INTERPOL data queries by US authorities each year result in countless checks on fugitives, missing persons and dangerous persons every day.
Just to name one notable example, and especially relatable given that we were just celebrating Police Week and honoring the heroes of our deceased law enforcement officers, almost a decade ago in 2013, 6 On May 20, in Bogotá, Colombia, drug traffickers killed a DEA special agent. James “Terry” Watson.
Interpol Washington worked closely with investigators and prosecutors to rapidly draft and expedite the issuance of seven red notices within hours, and in some cases minutes, of arrest warrants against defendants bottom.
The red notice gave the Colombian National Police the necessary powers to make provisional arrests, all of whom were eventually extradited to the United States and successfully indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2014.
Attorney General Eric Holder said at the time that the final conviction in the case was “an important milestone in our efforts to achieve justice for the fallen heroes,” noting that the result was “international It was made possible with Paul’s support.” ”
What started as a simple idea to facilitate communication between law enforcement agencies has grown into a global crime-fighting force that touches every aspect of our mission to keep people safe and uphold the rule of law. bottom.
From countering nuclear smuggling to chasing terrorists, from thwarting the latest cyber threats to rescuing children from sex traffickers, from dismantling violent drug cartels to combating illegal arms trafficking, we have evolved. We face continuing threats.
Over the past 100 years, INTERPOL has evolved to address threats, thereby making the world a safer place.
Congratulations on the 100th anniversary of INTERPOL.