MANILA, Philippines -- U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) hosted 22 Philippine National Police (PNP) officers from the newly-formed Philippine Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) for an intensive three-week International Task Force Agent Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia, from January 16 to February 2. While there, the local Filipino-American community came together to welcome the 22 police officers with home-cooked meals and fellowship.

At the training, HSI and FLETC instructors led rigorous sessions for the TCIU members on entry and defensive tactics, investigative techniques, interviews and interrogations, evidence collection, surveillance, and undercover operations.

TCIUs investigate crimes with a nexus to both the United States and the host country and are a partnership between HSI and local law enforcement. The Philippines is the first Asian country to host a TCIU.

“TCIU Philippines will first focus on those who travel to the Philippines to exploit children,” explained Ransom Avilla, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ HSI Attaché. PNP Team Leader Major Jeorge Francis Rodrin added, “The TCIU officers came from different fields of expertise within the PNP and grew as one during this training. Together, the TCIU will fight crime to give justice to victims of abuse.”

Out of the 12 TCIUs worldwide, the Philippine TCIU is notable for its high proportion of female officers, with 13 women out of 22 members.