Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP)

Promoting justice by prosecuting human rights violators and other international criminals

The Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) primarily investigates and prosecutes cases against human rights violators and other international criminals. HRSP investigates and prosecutes human rights violators for genocide, torture, war crimes, recruitment or use of child soldiers, female genital mutilation, and for immigration and naturalization fraud arising out of efforts to hide their involvement in such crimes. HRSP also prosecutes perpetrators of other international violent crimes, particularly those involving the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) or occurring within the Special Maritime & Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States (SMTJ). Finally, HRSP prosecutes members of international criminal networks who seek to evade our immigration laws, such as by smuggling persons into the United States. In addition to its prosecutorial activities, HRSP is actively engaged in policy work, both domestically and internationally.

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HRSP News

Indian National Pleads Guilty to Owning, Funding, and Operating India-Based Call Centers That Scammed U.S. Victims Out of Millions of Dollars

Thursday, January 9, 2020

An Indian national pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Texas for his role in operating and funding India-based call centers whose callers, and U.S.-based conspirators, defrauded U.S. victims out of millions of dollars between 2013 and 2016.

Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Fraudulently Sell Imported Jewelry From the Philippines As Native American-Made

Monday, January 6, 2020

Three members of an international conspiracy to import knock-off jewelry from the Philippines and misrepresent it as Native-American have pleaded guilty for their roles in the fraudulent scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey of the District of Arizona.

Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Murder for Killing a Woman on a Cruise Ship

Thursday, December 19, 2019

A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to murdering his longtime girlfriend during a cruise from Florida to the Bahamas in January 2018.