Lima, Peru - U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer Alan Bersin and Peru’s Deputy Superintendent of the National Tax Administration (SUNAT) Iván Luyo signed an agreement Friday establishing a Trade Transparency Unit (TTU).

Assistant Secretary Bersin signed the TTU agreement on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The TTU partnership will enhance the ability to detect trade-based money laundering and other illicit trade schemes used by transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups. The new agreement will also enhance information-sharing between the United States and Peru to help prevent and investigate customs offenses.

Through the TTU agreement, HSI and the SUNAT will exchange import and export information of merchandise that travels between the United States and Peru. The exchange of information accomplished through HSI’s Data Analysis and Research for Trade Transparency System, allows users to see both sides of the trade transaction, making the transaction transparent. This capability will assist both HSI and the SUNAT in identifying international trade anomalies and financial irregularities indicative of trade-based money laundering, smuggling, customs fraud, movement of counterfeit goods and other import-export crimes.

“SUNAT, together with HSI, are demonstrating their shared resolve to protecting the integrity of trade and financial systems,” said Assistant Secretary Bersin. “The exchange of trade data between our two countries will play an increasingly important role in addressing the increased use of trade-based money laundering by transnational organized crime.”

SUNAT Deputy Superintendent Luyo said, “The implementation of this program will give us the ability to dive deeper into investigations linked to customs crimes and the laundering of funds through international commerce.”

The TTU information-sharing methodology has been highlighted in the United States and by the Financial Action Task Force as a best practice in combatting trade-based money laundering. HSI currently has information-sharing partnerships with 11 countries including Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and now Peru.

Through its International Operations, HSI has 62 operational attaché offices in 46 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies through a robust network of specialized, vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units. Additionally, HSI brings personnel from host countries to the United States to train at the Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.