Archived Articles

December 15, 2006

State Department Funds Security Training

Chargé Eugene Sweeney and Course Participants

In a 10-day session, International Office of Migration (IOM) trained more than 100 Immigration and law enforcement officials from Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos.  The participants were intensively trained in recognizing fraudulent documents, counterfeiting, passport security features, and evidence and detection of imposters.  “Strengthening Technical Capacity in Trinidad and Tobago” targeted the police, Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Customs officials.  The training was conducted by Jim Hesse, a former DHS officer with more than 30 years of experience. 

In his opening remarks, Chargé Eugene Sweeney stressed the importance not only of recognizing and identifying fraudulent documents but also relying on experience and intelligent profiling to identify impostors.  More than 100,000 fans are expected to travel to the Caribbean for the Cricket World Cup in March, and the special session on training the trainers ensure that Immigration officers can disseminate their skills.

Course Participants