With its capital being located on what is known to law enforcement officials as the Heroin Highway, Rhode Island is no stranger to organized drug trafficking and other federal crimes. Thanks to the hard work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents, those committing federal offenses in the state will never feel safe. Besides coordinating major drug busts, ICE Agents in Rhode Island also conduct missions targeting counterfeiting and tax crimes.
As part of their operations, ICE Criminal Investigators in Rhode Island work closely with local agencies that include:
- New England Regional Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
- Rhode Island State Police
- Providence Police Department
- Rhode Island Department of Revenue’s Division of Taxation
- Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force
- Warwick Police Department
- Cranston Police Department
Becoming an ICE Agent in Rhode Island
Researching how to become an ICE Agent is the first step to making a successful bid for open jobs in Rhode Island. Candidates for ICE jobs must meet a few basic requirements:
- Having no felony convictions
- Being between the ages of 21-37, a federal law enforcement officer, or an eligible veteran
- Being a US citizen with a valid driver’s license
- Having the ability to use and carry a firearm
The next step in becoming a Criminal Investigator requires either a bachelor’s degree and a year of graduate study, or a bachelor’s degree plus one of several possible distinctions:
- Being in the top 33rd percentile of graduating class or major
- Membership in a non-freshman national honors society
- 3.5 GPA in major field of study
- 3.0 GPA
A bachelor’s degree in any of the following subjects will additionally contribute towards the fulfillment of a final experience requirement, which mandates at least a year of experience in areas including:
- Law
- Police Science
- Criminal Justice
- Forensic Science
- Law Enforcement
- Crime Scene Investigation
Education and Training for ICE Jobs in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is home to 11 universities which offer a school program that includes a bachelor degree, and between these and countless opportunities available online prospective agents will be able to find a qualifying education nearby.
Having satisfied all the prerequisites to apply for ICE careers, candidates can then search for ICE vacancies on the federal government’s USA Jobs website. If selected for hire, new agents will attend 22 weeks of paid training in Georgia that will cover key topics including:
- Report writing and language
- Gathering evidence
- Civil and criminal laws
- Civil procedures
- Investigative procedures
- Firearms
- Undercover operations
ICE Operations in Rhode Island
ICE Criminal Investigators usually grab headlines for fugitive alien and narcotics busts, however their customs-side of operations tends to receive less attention. These operations are vital to strengthening America’s economy and at the same time deprive criminals of illegal profits.
One recent ICE customs operation that lasted nearly a year involved a Massachusetts suspect who was arrested on charges relating his sale of tens-of-thousands of packs cigarettes in Rhode Island. The scheme involved the man traveling to other states where he would purchase cheap cigarettes and return to sell these in Rhode Island at a significantly marked-up price due to the state’s relatively high tax of $4.00 per pack on the items.
Another recent customs case involved ICE Agents who arrested a Warwick man as the conclusion of a six-month investigation into counterfeit merchandise. When executing a search warrant at the suspect’s residence, agents discovered counterfeit health and beauty products as well as sports merchandise. ICE Agents seized more than $1 million in goods as a result of the operation, making a significant dent in the local illegal counterfeit goods market.