Attorney General Kamala D. Harris to Convene Multinational Law Enforcement Summit on Technology and Transnational Crime

SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris will convene state and federal officials from the U.S., Mexico and El Salvador for a multinational summit focused on the use of technology to fight transnational organized crime. The summit, held in association with the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG), will focus on human trafficking, intellectual property violations and money laundering. 

“Transnational criminal organizations are increasingly using sophisticated networks and technology to commit crimes against the people of California, the United States, and globally,” Attorney General Harris said. “This summit will build on the partnership we forged in Mexico City this March to combat the increased use of social media in human trafficking and disrupt money laundering schemes in the U.S.-Mexico border region. I want to thank my colleagues and international partners for joining me to address this serious issue.”

Attendees at the summit, the 2014 CWAG Alliance Partnership Binational State Attorney General Exchange, include U.S. state attorneys general, U.S. federal officials, Mexico Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam, El Salvador Attorney General Luis Martinez, and Mexico state attorneys general. 

The summit follows a U.S. delegation visit led by Attorney General Harris to Mexico City in March to strengthened relationships between government officials in both countries and enhanced efforts to combat transnational crime. During the visit, the bipartisan delegation met with Mexico Attorney General Murillo Karam to discuss shared priorities in the fight against transnational crime.

The delegation, which included the state attorneys general from Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico, also with Mexican state attorneys general from Sonora, Baja California, Chihuahua, Campeche, Distrito Federal, Zacatecas and Jalisco. The delegation also signed a letter of intent with the National Banking and Securities Commission of Mexico to establish a binational working group on money laundering enforcement. (https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-us-state-attorneys-general-sign-anti-money)

Prior to leading the delegation, Attorney General Harris issued the first comprehensive report in California analyzing the current state of transnational criminal organizations highlighting the increasing use of technology to facilitate criminal activity, recruitment, intimidation and harassment. The report called for increased international partnerships to leverage technology against transnational crime. (https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-issues-comprehensive-report-transnational)

WHEN: Sunday, July 20, 2014 

WHERE: CWAG annual meeting - Park City, Utah 

WHO:

Mexico Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam 

El Salvador Attorney General Luis Martinez

U.S. State Attorneys General from Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

Mexican State Attorneys General from Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sir, Coahuila, Colima, Mexico, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oazaca, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas.

NOTE: Media interested in covering the summit should contact Nick Pacilio at 415-703-5837.