what is hsi agent

HSI stands for Homeland Security Investigations, which is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. HSI is the primary investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for investigating transnational crime, including human rights violations, human smuggling, cybercrime, narcotics smuggling, weapons and other types of related contraband, financial crimes, intellectual property rights, transnational gangs, and export enforcement issues. HSI consists of more than 10,300 employees who are assigned to over 210 cities throughout the U.S. and 80 international offices in 53 countries across the world. Approximately 7,100+ Special Agents (Criminal Investigators) are included among the over 10,300 HSI employees, making it the second largest investigative service in the United States, behind the Federal Bureau of Investigation. HSI Special Agents conduct criminal and civil investigations involving national security threats and work with prosecutors to indict and arrest violators, execute criminal search warrants, seize criminally derived money and assets, and take part in joint investigations with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. HSI is primarily a federal criminal investigative service that places emphasis on arrests, indictments, and convictions to measure its effectiveness.