Coalition of public and private sector security experts convene to strengthen U.S. response to the growing threat of illegal trade and black-market criminals
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Over 75 leaders from government, law enforcement, and the private sector convened today during the United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) 2025 National Summit in Washington, D.C. to call on Congress to enact new policies needed to address the $2.2 trillion criminal enterprise of illegal trade. Encompassing a network of interlinked crimes—from counterfeiting and organized retail theft to the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings—the underground economy and its profiteers are increasingly one of the most pervasive and dangerous challenges to American’s security and prosperity.
“Criminal networks are quick to exploit weaknesses in our trade and financial systems for profit, with zero concern for public safety. Law enforcement is working tirelessly to counter the dangers that illegal trade poses to our national security, economy, and communities,” said USA-IT spokesperson and former Acting Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations, Alysa Erichs. “But no single agency can address this challenge alone. Success depends on strong collaboration between the public and private sectors. By working together across sectors, we can share intelligence, strengthen expertise, spot emerging trends, and develop innovative strategies to stop criminals from enriching themselves at America’s expense.”
The coalition’s third national summit in Washington, D.C., included keynote remarks from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and panel discussions on a variety of illegal trade issues, including but not limited to: The global issue of human trafficking, its effects on local communities, and how we can better fight back; how the public sector can maximize its operational effectiveness through cross-sector cooperation; and legislative pathways towards intellectual property security.
“Information-sharing is one of our strongest weapons,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, Director of the National IPR Center. “Leveraging the expertise and resources of our private-sector partners allows law enforcement to meet the evolving tactics of criminal networks.”
Underscoring the need to create a national framework to strengthen public-private sector cooperation, coalition partners held a series of meetings with lawmakers during the two-day summit to advocate USA-IT’s 2025 policy priorities, including:
- Support the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025
- Promote Transparency Across Online Platforms
- Support the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act and the Combating Trafficking in Transportation Act
Illegal trade threatens the well-being of Americans and cost the U.S. economy an average of $18 billion annually. Without unified coordination between government, industry, and the public, enforcement efforts remain fragmented and reactive. This summit aims to advance a whole-of-society approach to protect the public from the harms of illegal trade and disrupt criminal networks at their source.
For more information about USA-IT’s efforts to combat illegal trade and to get involved, visit USAIT.org or email us at [email protected].
ABOUT USA-IT
United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) is a public-and-private-sector partnership protecting Americans’ security and prosperity from black-market criminals. Founded by Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses (“PMI U.S.”) in 2021, the coalition is supported by national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement, leading industry associations, and civic organizations.
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SOURCE USA-IT
