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The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have launched a new regional Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) focused on combating transnational criminal organizations threatening Kansas and the surrounding Midwest. This task force aims to dismantle criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and other violent groups operating in the heartland, safeguarding public safety and national security, according to a release.

The Kansas City HSTF region covers Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri, with a dedicated hub in Wichita to coordinate federal efforts within the state. The task force brings together law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff from multiple agencies to tackle crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons trafficking, human trafficking, and alien smuggling.

In partnership with state and local law enforcement, the HSTF will identify and prosecute violent criminal organizations operating in Kansas communities. The regional task force is co-led by FBI and HSI special agents and follows the national framework established by a presidential executive order aimed at ending the presence of criminal organizations and protecting Americans from cross-border crime.

Partner agencies will include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agency (ATF); the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Nebraska; the District of Kansas; the Northern District of Iowa; the Southern District of Iowa; the Western District of Missouri; the Eastern District of Missouri; and other federal, state, and local agencies that look to support the task force.