Interpol Defense Attorneys

Interpol Defense Firm Representing Clients Worldwide

Attorney Nick OberheidenInterpol Defense
Team Lead

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is an intergovernmental organization that facilitates international police cooperation and assists law enforcement agencies in 196 countries worldwide in identifying suspects, victims, threats, and criminal assets. While the international police organization does not have any law enforcement authority itself, through its efforts to coordinate cross-border law enforcement efforts, it plays a significant role in many high-stakes criminal prosecutions around the world.

As a result, if you have been named in an Interpol notice or a diffusion on Interpol’s website, you need to act quickly to protect yourself. You could be facing a variety of risks, and mitigating or eliminating these risks will require an informed and strategic defense. At Oberheiden P.C., our team includes attorneys and consultants with experience at the highest levels of the United States government, and we have extensive experience representing clients in extremely high-stakes cross-border law enforcement matters.

Interpol’s Global Law Enforcement Priorities

Interpol focuses its efforts on supporting cross-border law enforcement in four broad areas. It prioritizes facilitating coordination to maintain a “global security architecture,” and “enable[s] police to work directly with their counterparts, even between countries which do not have diplomatic relations.” The four broad areas in which Interpol primarily operates are:

Counter-Terrorism
Cybercrime
Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption
Organized and Emerging Crime

At Oberheiden P.C., we represent clients in each of these areas. Our experience includes defending individuals and organizations facing an extremely wide range of criminal allegations, and we have the capabilities required to handle extremely high-stakes matters on a global scale. Along with criminal investigations and law enforcement proceedings, we handle matters involving the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), extradition and deportation, and other related matters.

Understanding Your Interpol Notice

Interpol operates by facilitating a system of notices delivered between law enforcement agencies around the world. These notices provide the issuing agency’s foreign counterparts with information about pending investigations and law enforcement proceedings and are intended to facilitate the bringing to justice of alleged criminal actors. We represent individuals and organizations that are subject to all types of Interpol notices, including:

Red Notice: Red Notices are used to “seek the location and arrest of wanted persons for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”
Yellow Notice: Yellow Notices are used to “locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.”
Blue Notice: Blue Notices are used to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.”
Black Notice: Black Notices are used to “seek information on unidentified bodies.”
Green Notice: Green Notices are used to “provide warning[s] about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.”
Orange Notice: Orange Notices are used to “warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.”
Purple Notice: Purple Notices are used to “seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.”
Silver Notice: Silver Notices are used to “identify and trace criminal assets.”
INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notice: These notices are “[i]ssued for entities and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.”

Our Interpol Defense Services

We provide comprehensive legal representation for individuals and organizations that are dealing with Interpol. This includes (but is not limited to) handling the following matters:

Interpol Notices

If you have received any type of Interpol notice, understanding why it was issued needs to be among your top priorities. Our Interpol defense lawyers can determine why the notice was issued and, based on that determination, evaluate your risks, options, and next steps. While some Interpol notices are valid, others can be issued in error, and sometimes authorities issue them for political or other abusive purposes.

Diffusions

A diffusion is an informal notice published on Interpol’s website. Law enforcement agencies from Interpol member countries can publish diffusions in lieu of (or in addition to) requesting a formal notice. While diffusions may be informal, they can still pose significant risks—and cause significant reputational harm—so here, too, a prompt and strategic defense is critical.

FISA Warrants

Federal law enforcement authorities in the United States use FISA warrants to obtain information about foreign individuals and organizations in the U.S. and abroad. In many cases, the issuance of an Interpol notice will be followed shortly after by the issuance of a FISA warrant. If you are facing a FISA warrant, our Interpol defense attorneys can begin protecting you or your organization immediately.

OFAC Sanctions

Interpol notices can also lead to the imposition of OFAC sanctions in the United States. These sanctions can prevent individuals and organizations from accessing their assets or conducting business with U.S. parties. We represent clients in OFAC matters as well, including both seeking to prevent the imposition of sanctions and seeking removal from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) list and other sanctions lists.

Extradition

One of the primary functions of issuing an Interpol Red Notice is to facilitate the arrest and extradition of an individual suspected of criminal activity. While Interpol does not have arresting authority itself, Interpol notices can be used by local law enforcement to detain foreign nationals traveling abroad, after which they can be extradited for prosecution.

Deportation (Removal)

Interpol Notices can also lead to deportation (removal) from the United States and other countries. Being subject to an Interpol notice can have other immigration consequences. At Oberheiden P.C., several of our senior defense lawyers have experience on both sides of federal immigration enforcement matters in the United States, and we can use this experience to help protect your immigration status by all means available.

Dr. Nick Oberheiden

Founder

Attorney-at-Law

Lynette S. Byrd

Former DOJ Trial Attorney

Partner

Brian J. Kuester

Former U.S. Attorney

Hon. Kevin McCarthy

55th Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives (ret.)

Government Consultant

Mike Pompeo

Of Counsel

Former U.S. Secretary of State

John W. Sellers

Former Senior DOJ Trial Attorney

Linda Julin McNamara

Federal Appeals Attorney

Nicholas B. Johnson

Former Prosecutor

Roger Bach

Former Special Agent (DOJ)

Chris J. Quick

Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)

Michael S. Koslow

Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)

Ray Yuen

Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)

Federal Criminal Prosecution

Much of our practice is devoted to representing clients facing investigations and charges involving serious federal crimes in the United States. Whether you are facing extradition to the U.S. or are already on U.S. soil, we can use our international law experience to defend you. We handle all types of serious federal criminal cases, including alleged financial crimes and other white-collar offenses.

FAQs: Interpol Notices and International Criminal Prosecution

What is Interpol?

Interpol is an intergovernmental organization that facilitates the sharing of data and information among law enforcement authorities in 196 countries around the world. While Interpol does not have direct law enforcement authority itself, it nonetheless plays an integral role in many cross-border criminal investigations, extraditions, and other law enforcement proceedings

Does the United States Support Interpol?

Yes, the United States is one of the 196 Interpol member countries and has its own National Central Bureau (NCB). The other member countries are dispersed across six continents (all continents excluding Antarctica), with multiple member countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Federal law enforcement authorities in the U.S. routinely use Interpol notices to pursue both U.S. and foreign citizens, and U.S. authorities assist with the extradition and deportation of individuals who are the subject of Interpol notices issued by foreign national authorities and law enforcement agencies.

Can Interpol Make Arrests in the United States?

No, Interpol does not have the authority to issue international arrest warrant in the U.S. or any other country. Instead, when a foreign law enforcement agency is targeting a U.S. citizen or foreign national who is on U.S. soil, it will issue a Red Notice through Interpol to inform member countries and have the target arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or another federal law enforcement agency.

What Should I Do if I Received an Interpol Notice?

If you received an Interpol notice, you should consult with an experienced Interpol defense lawyer promptly. It will be important to quickly gain an understanding of why the notice was issued, as this will allow you to determine what risks you are facing and what options you have available. Our lawyers have the experience required to handle Interpol notices effectively, and we can provide legal representation on an emergency basis when necessary.

Can an Interpol Notice Lead to Extradition and Prosecution?

Yes, facing extradition is one of the main risks associated with receiving an Interpol Red Notice. If you are extradited following the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice, you can then be prosecuted for international crimes in the country that sought extradition. With this in mind, if you are the subject of an Interpol Red Notice and you have not yet been extradited, you will want to speak with an experienced Interpol defense lawyer for professional legal assistance as soon as possible.

Speak with an Interpol Defense Lawyer at Oberheiden P.C. in Confidence

If you need more information on handling an Interpol notice, diffusion, or any other Interpol-related matter, we encourage you to contact us promptly. Once you get in touch, we will arrange for you to speak with a senior Interpol defense attorney at Oberheiden P.C. in confidence as soon as possible. Call 888-680-1745 or contact us online to get started today.