ICE agents recently assisted in an FBI operation that resulted in the conviction of two Bowling Green residents who were involved in terrorism in Iraq. These Iraqi citizens had attacked US soldiers in Iraq with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and tried to send money and weapons to Al-Qaeda there. One of the men was sentenced to life in prison in 2013, while the other received a shorter sentence of 40 years in return for his cooperation.
The agency also investigates aliens who have been involved in crimes and has succeeded in identifying and arresting a number of them. In 2013 alone, ICE agents arrested 39 people in a sweep of immigration fugitives and criminal aliens.
Steps to Becoming an ICE Agent in Kentucky
ICE has rigorous standards for those who seek careers as criminal investigators, or special agents of the agency. Applicants must meet the following standards:
- Having US citizenship
- Being younger than 37, although this requirement can be waived for veterans
- Having met one of the following educational requirements:
- A year of graduate school
- A bachelor’s degree with one of the following marks of distinction:
- Ranking in the top third of the class
- Election to a national honor society
- Having the following GPA in all four years or the final two:
- B+ in courses for the major
- B in all courses
About a third of the applicants for these positions have prior experience in one of the following areas:
- Criminal investigations
- Law enforcement
Having this experience can help to substitute for part of the educational requirement. Applicants who are ready to apply for jobs with ICE should monitor the official site for federal positions. This is where ICE advertises when positions with the agency are available.
Applicants are thoroughly screened and investigated with a full background check. Those who are hired undergo 22 weeks of paid training at the Federal Law Enforcement Center (FELC) in Georgia. During this period, they are trained in academics, physical conditioning, and the use of firearms.
Residents of Kentucky who want to learn more about how to become an ICE special agent should contact the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the state. This is the Chicago SAC who can be reached at 630-574-4600.
Preventing Federal Crime in Kentucky
ICE agents have had numerous successes in fighting criminal conspiracies in Kentucky in recent years. Some of them are listed below.
In 2012, ICE agents disrupted a child sex trafficking operation run by an illegal alien from El Salvador. The agency has also been highly effective at intercepting the distribution of child pornography and tracking it to its source.
During 2012, ICE agents worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department to stop an operation in which a Kansas man was producing child pornography. They were able to trace him from an image of a water bottle that had the name of a local swim and scuba center.
Kentucky has had an increasingly severe heroin problem in recent years as many addicts to prescription pain medicine switch to heroin as a cheaper and more easily available drug. In 2011, ICE agents intercepted a package containing heroin that was being sent from Mexico to Elsmere. They were able to identify the men involved, one of whom had a lengthy record of drug trafficking and weapons possession.