Career Highlights

• Began career as intern with the U.S. Customs Service Department of Treasury
• She has conducted over 300 criminal investigations
• Asked to transfer to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Cyber Crimes Center (C3) in Northern, VA in 2001

Career Overview

Linda Phillips is a special agent with the Immigraiton and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center. After school, she interned at the U.S. Customs Service Department of Treasury and made connections that led to her first position. In order to become an immigration agent, she attended four months of Customs Basic Investigator and Criminal Investigator Training at the Federal Law Enforcement training Center. Phillips was assigned to the Southwest Border where she worked on a narcotics task force, conducting hundreds of investigations.

In 2001, Phillips transferred to the ICE Cyber Crimes Center in Virginia. C3 uses ICE computer and forensic assets together in a single location to combat Internet-related crimes like drug and arms trafficking, art smuggling, immigration violations and international money laundering.

Our Interview

Linda Phillips sits down with ThinkTalk host Lila Merideth to discuss her experiences with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Phillips takes questions from Georgetown University students Diana and Yunji. Diana asks Phillips if it is difficult to be a woman in a generally “male-centric” career field. Yunji asks how the Internet has changed drug trafficking.