Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has named Angie Salazar as the new special agent in charge (SAC) of the HSI office based in Detroit.
In her new role, Salazar, a 19-year veteran of federal law enforcement, will supervise a cadre of special agents responsible for investigative work across Michigan and Ohio with administrative and operational oversight of approximately 250 personnel. HSI special agents, analysts, auditors, and support staff, assigned throughout the Midwest, protect the community by utilizing their broad legal authority to conduct federal criminal investigations into various mission areas such as: drug smuggling, illegal exportation of munitions and high-tech items, money laundering, financial crimes, transnational gangs, human smuggling and trafficking, intellectual property rights infringement, and child exploitation.
“I am extremely honored to be selected to return to HSI Detroit and to have the opportunity to serve on their exceptionally strong team of local, state and federal law enforcement partners in the Detroit area of operations,” said Salazar.
Salazar returns to Detroit with a wealth of knowledge gleaned from years of federal service. She began her career with HSI in San Ysidro, California, and went on to join HSI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and later served as the deputy attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. She continued her service in law enforcement in 2015 as the assistant SAC for HSI Harlingen before serving as the deputy SAC for HSI Detroit. In September 2021, she was selected to serve as the federal coordinator responsible for Operation Allies Welcome, based at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. In this capacity, Salazar supported the Interagency Unified Coordination Group established by the president to ensure federal unity of effort in achieving the goals of the operation, which included appropriate processing, medical screening, vaccination administration, and resettlement of vulnerable Afghans.
Prior to accepting her current position, Salazar served as the SAC for the Chicago area of operations, covering Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Salazar also held the interim director for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking position, which oversees, coordinates, and promotes the DHS mission of combatting human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
“I am impressed with the work I have already observed being done by the professional men and women of HSI Detroit,” continued Salazar. “I am excited to see how much more we will be able to accomplish together toward our public safety mission.”
Salazar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from National University, as well as being a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).
