Serge S. Duarte

Deputy Special Agent in Charge in San Diego for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE), Office of Investigations

Serge S. Duarte, a native of Southern California, is the Deputy Special Agent in Charge in San Diego for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigations.  ICE employs over 20,000 employees nationwide, including 6,000 investigators, and is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security dedicated to detecting vulnerabilities that threaten national security.

The mission of the ICE Office of Investigations is focused on a broad array of national security, financial and smuggling violations, including illegal arms exports, financial crimes, commercial fraud, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, child pornography/exploitation and immigration fraud.  Using their unique legal authorities, ICE special agents also conduct investigations aimed at protecting businesses of special interest that are most vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation by terrorist and criminals.

Since March of 1987 to 2003, Mr. Duarte served in a variety of management, supervisory and federal investigative roles with the U.S. Customs Service.  During his first five years with Customs, Mr. Duarte conducted extensive undercover investigations penetrating international narcotics trafficking organizations.

In March of 2003, the U.S. Customs Service merged under the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Under this new organization, Mr. Duarte oversees a large federal law enforcement workforce that conducts investigations into terrorism, protection of critical infrastructure, money laundering, commercial fraud, copyright protection, criminal gangs, immigration fraud, cyber crimes, and narcotics smuggling. He is responsible for enforcement operations that have identified and removed over 200 unauthorized aliens illegally working at airports, military installations, government shipyards and other critical infrastructure facilities in San Diego.  Additionally, over 100 persons in the San Diego area involved in sexual predation and child pornography have been arrested or deported.  Finally, he oversees investigations into criminal organizations that are responsible for the illegal transfer of military aircraft hardware and restricted technology from the United States to Iran, China and other proscribed countries.

Mr. Duarte received a Masters in Public Administration from National University in 2003. He is also a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Area Maritime Security Council, the Border Research Technology Center Advisory Council, the National Tactical Officers Association, the California Narcotic Officers Association, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association.