Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 1888

APHIS’

Investigative

and Enforcement

Services

Our Quality Standards

To continually improve our services, IES maintains 

a quality management system (QMS) that guides 

the unit’s workflow. IES’ QMS is certified to the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 

9001:2008 requirements, which represent an international consensus on quality management practices. 

IES has maintained a certificate of registration since 

August 2010 and is currently certified through the 

independent auditor, British Standards Institution 

Group of America, Inc. This certificate of registration validates that IES’ QMS meets or exceeds all 

ISO 9001:2008 requirements. IES’ accreditation 

is with the ANAB,1 an internationally recognized 

accrediting board for quality management systems, 

and our current certificate of registration number is 

FS 635680.

IES Authorities

Under titles 7 and 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), APHIS enforces numerous agricultural 

health laws. These include: the Animal Welfare Act, 

Horse Protection Act, Plant Protection Act, Animal 

Health Protection Act, Federal Seed Act, Endangered Species Act, Honey Bee Act, Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act, Commercial Transportation 

of Equines for Slaughter Act, Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, 

Swine Health Protection Act, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 

and Flora, and Lacey Act (as it relates to plants and 

plant products).

IES Organizational Values

Contact Us

We welcome your comments, suggestions, 

and questions. For more information 

about IES, please visit our Web site at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/business-services/ies or 

contact us directly at the offices listed below. 

n APHIS Headquarters

USDA-APHIS-IES

4700 River Road, Unit 85

Riverdale, MD 20737

(301) 851-2948

n Eastern Region

USDA-APHIS-IES

920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200

Raleigh, NC 27606

(919) 855-7080

n Western Region

USDA-APHIS-IES

Building B-3W10

2150 Centre Avenue

Fort Collins, CO 80526

(970) 494-7485

USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 

the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, 

religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived 

from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of 

Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 

20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 

(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Revised August 2015

1 ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), a nongovernmental 

organization jointly owned by the American National Standards Institute and 

the American Society for Quality

n Integrity: We hold ourselves to the 

highest standards of conduct, ethics, 

and trust.

n Excellence: We apply our best efforts 

and diligence in everything we do.

n Service: We provide professional and 

timely work products and support.

n Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace 

the value and benefits of a diverse 

workforce.

n Safety: We promote employee safety 

and health. IES’ work focuses on a broad range 

of topics: 

n biological toxins and agents 

n domestic and foreign quarantines 

n genetically engineered organisms 

n noxious weeds

n imports and exports

n phytosanitary treatments 

n animal welfare

n disease eradication

n horse protection

n veterinary biologics 

n interstate trade (agricultural products) 

A field investigator uses technology while conducting surveillance to gather 

information for an investigation. (USDA file photo)

IES investigates cases involving animals exhibited in zoos and other 

public forums. (USDA, R. Anson Eaglin)
IES Mission

We protect the health and value of 

America’s agricultural and natural 

resources and promote the integrity 

of APHIS programs by providing 

effective and efficient investigative 

and enforcement services.

IES Vision

To support USDA and APHIS’ 

missions with technical sophistication, 

integrated partnerships, and a 

skilled workforce that holds itself to 

the highest standards of integrity, 

excellence, service, safety, 

diversity, and inclusion.

Who We Are

Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES) is a 

unit within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

(USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS). IES investigates alleged violations of laws 

under APHIS’ jurisdiction and determines appropriate 

enforcement actions based on the evidence and applicable laws. IES cases may include investigating the 

illegal smuggling of forbidden animal or plant products, 

welfare violations involving animals used for research 

or exhibition, or alleged violations of the Horse Protection Act or Commercial Transportation of Equines for 

Slaughter Act.

Proper animal identification allows APHIS to 

trace livestock movement and respond quickly to 

disease outbreaks. (USDA, R. Anson Eaglin)

Citrus plants can 

become infested 

with foreign pests or 

diseases. IES enforces 

laws to prevent such 

agricultural threats from 

entering the United 

States. (USDA, R. 

Anson Eaglin)

Field personnel investigate 

alleged violations of the Horse 

Protection Act and work to 

eliminate the cruel, inhumane 

practice of soring. (USDA, R. 

Anson Eaglin)

IES’ diverse team of investigators operates out of 

APHIS’ two regional offices. The eastern regional office 

is located in Raleigh, NC, and covers 29 States, Puerto 

Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. APHIS’ western 

regional office, located in Fort Collins, CO, covers 

21 States and Guam. When IES investigators learn 

of alleged violations, they may gather information, 

conduct interviews, and prepare case reports documenting the evidence in detail. 

The unit’s enforcement and administrative personnel 

work at APHIS headquarters in Riverdale, MD. IES’ 

three enforcement branches include: 1) the Animal 

Health and Horse Protection Enforcement Branch, 

2) the Animal Welfare Enforcement Branch, and 3) 

the Plant Health and Border Protection Enforcement 

Branch. Employees with these branches review 

investigative case files to determine whether violations 

are confirmed by the documented evidence and then 

make fair and appropriate enforcement recommendations. They also maintain investigative records, develop 

penalty recommendations, and issue enforcement 

actions to resolve alleged violations. Personnel with 

IES’ Planning, Analysis, and Support Branch provide 

budget analysis and administrative support. 

Who We Serve

IES provides investigative, enforcement, and regulatory 

support services to four APHIS programs—Animal 

Care, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, and Veterinary Services—and the 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and 

Border Protection. We also serve the American public 

and stakeholders by making information about APHIS’ 

regulations and enforcement activities readily available. 

What We Do

We serve our customers in a variety of 

ways. Our field personnel conduct investigations and 

produce reports of investigation (ROIs). During investigations, IES may coordinate with other Federal, State, 

and local regulatory or law enforcement agencies. 

After investigations are complete, our enforcement 

staff reviews ROIs to determine whether the evidence 

proves that violations occurred. 

When the information and evidence gathered during an 

investigation supports a finding 

of a violation, APHIS may 

pursue enforcement 

action against the alleged 

violator. Enforcement 

actions can include an 

official warning, a voluntary 

settlement agreement, a referral to USDA’s Office of the 

General Counsel for administrative action, or—in cases 

involving the most serious violations—a referral to the 

U.S. Department of Justice for civil or criminal action. 

Other IES services include: 

n conducting intelligence analysis, 

n processing testimonial subpoenas served 

on APHIS employees,

n providing legal support and related help 

for administrative hearings that involve 

potential violations of APHIS laws, and

n delivering training and outreach at 

conferences, seminars, and other forums.