32 CFR 153.4 – Responsibilities
(a) The General Counsel of the Department of Defense shall provide initial coordination and liaison with the Departments of Justice and State, on behalf of the Military Departments, regarding a case for which investigation and/or Federal criminal prosecution under the Act is contemplated. This responsibility may be delegated entirely, or delegated for categories of cases, or delegated for individual cases. The General Counsel, or designee, shall advise the Domestic Security Section of the Criminal Division, Department of Justice (DSS/DOJ), as soon as practicable, when DoD officials intend to recommend that the DOJ consider the prosecution of a person subject to the Act for offenses committed outside the United States. The Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice, has designated the Domestic Security Section (DSS/DOJ) as the Section responsible for the Act.
(b) The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall:
(1) Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 3), “report expeditiously to the Attorney General whenever the Inspector General has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a violation of Federal criminal law.” This statutory responsibility is generally satisfied once an official/special agent of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense notifies either the cognizant Department of Justice representative or the Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Division) of the “reasonable grounds.”
(2) Pursuant to Section 8(c)(5) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 3), and 10 U.S.C. § 141(b), ensure the responsibilities described in DoD Directive 5525.7, “Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense Relating to the Investigation and Prosecution of Certain Crimes,” January 22, 1985,
(c) The Heads of Military Law Enforcement Organizations and Military Criminal Investigative Organizations, or their Designees, shall:
(1) Advise the Commander and Staff Judge Advocate (or Legal Advisor) of the Combatant Command concerned, or designees, of an investigation of an alleged violation of the Act. Such notice shall be provided as soon as practicable. In turn, the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, or designee, shall be advised so as to ensure notification of and consultation with the Departments of Justice and State regarding information about the potential case, including the host nation’s position regarding the case. At the discretion of the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, other agencies and organizations (such as the Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of the Military Department that sponsored the person into the foreign country) shall be informed, as appropriate. Effective investigations lead to successful prosecutions and, therefore, these cases warrant close coordination and cooperation between the Departments of Defense, Justice, and State.
(2) Provide briefings to, and coordinate with, appropriate local law enforcement authorities in advance or, if not possible, as soon thereafter as is practicable, of investigations or arrests in specific cases brought under the Act. If not previously provided to local law enforcement authorities, such briefings about the case shall, at a minimum, describe the Host Nation’s position regarding the exercise of jurisdiction under the Act that followed from any briefings conducted pursuant to appendix A of this part.
(d) The Domestic Security Section, Criminal Division, Department of Justice (DSS/DOJ) has agreed to:
(1) Provide preliminary liaison with the Department of Defense, coordinate initial notifications with other entities of the Department of Justice and Federal law enforcement organizations; make preliminary decisions regarding proper venue; designate the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office; and coordinate the further assignment of DOJ responsibilities.
(2) Coordinate with the designated U.S. Attorney’s office arrangements for a Federal Magistrate Judge to preside over the initial proceedings required by the Act. Although the assignment of a particular Federal Magistrate Judge shall ordinarily be governed by the jurisdiction where a prosecution is likely to occur, such an assignment does not determine the ultimate venue of any prosecution that may be undertaken. Appropriate venue is determined in accordance with the requirements of Section 3238 of Title 18, United States Code.
(3) Coordinate the assistance to be provided the Department of Defense with the U.S. Attorney’s office in the district where venue for the case shall presumptively lie.
(4) Continue to serve as the primary point of contact for DoD personnel regarding all investigations that may lead to criminal prosecutions and all associated pretrial matters, until such time as DSS/DOJ advises that the case has become the responsibility of a specific U.S. Attorney’s Office.
(e) The Commanders of the Combatant Commands shall:
(1) Assist the DSS/DOJ on specific cases occurring within the Commander’s area of responsibility. These responsibilities include providing available information and other support essential to an appropriate and successful prosecution under the Act with the assistance of the Commanders’ respective Staff Judge Advocates (or Legal Advisors), or their designees, to the maximum extent allowed and practicable.
(2) Ensure command representatives are made available, as necessary, to participate in briefings of appropriate host nation authorities concerning the operation of this Act and the implementing provisions of this part.
(3) Determine when military necessity in the overseas theater requires a waiver of the limitations on removal in section 3264(a) of the Act and when the person arrested or charged with a violation of the Act shall be moved to the nearest U.S. military installation outside the United States that is adequate to detain the person and facilitate the initial proceedings prescribed in section 3265(a) of the Act and this part. Among the factors to be considered are the nature and scope of military operations in the area, the nature of any hostilities or presence of hostile forces, and the limitations of logistical support, available resources, appropriate personnel, or the communications infrastructure necessary to comply with the requirements of section 3265 of the Act governing initial proceedings.
(4) Annually report to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, by the last day of February for the immediately preceding calendar year, all cases involving the arrest of persons for violations of the Act; persons placed in temporary detention for violations of the Act; the number of requests for Federal prosecution under the Act, and the decisions made regarding such requests.
(5) Determine the suitability of the locations and conditions for the temporary detention of juveniles who commit violations of the Act within the Commander’s area of responsibility. The conditions of such detention must, at a minimum, meet the following requirements: Juveniles alleged to be delinquent shall not be detained or confined in any institution or facility in which the juvenile has regular contact with adult persons convicted of a crime or awaiting trial on criminal charges; insofar as possible, alleged juvenile delinquents shall be kept separate from adjudicated delinquents; and every juvenile in custody shall be provided adequate food, heat, light, sanitary facilities, bedding, clothing, recreation, and medical care, including necessary psychiatric, psychological, or other care and treatment.
(6) As appropriate, promulgate regulations consistent with and implementing this part. The Combatant Commander’s duties and responsibilities pursuant to this part may be delegated.
(f) The Secretaries of the Military Departments shall:
(1) Consistent with the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, make provision for defense counsel representation at initial proceedings conducted outside the United States pursuant to the Act for those persons arrested or charged with violations of section 3261(a) of the Act.
(2) Issue regulations establishing procedures that, to the maximum extent practicable, provide notice to all persons covered by the Act who are not nationals of the United States but who are employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States, with the exception of individuals who are nationals of or ordinarily resident in the host nation, that they are potentially subject to the criminal jurisdiction of the United States under the Act. At a minimum, such regulations shall require that employees and persons accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States, who are not nationals of the United States, be informed of the jurisdiction of the Act at the time that they are hired for overseas employment, or upon sponsorship into the overseas command, whichever event is earlier applicable. Such notice shall also be provided during employee training and any initial briefings required for these persons when they first arrive in the foreign country. For employees and persons accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States who are not nationals of the United States, but who have already been hired or are present in the overseas command at the time this part becomes effective, such notice shall be provided within 60 days of the effective date of this part.
(3) Ensure orientation training, as described in paragraph (f)(2) of this section, is also provided for all U.S. nationals who are, or who are scheduled to be, employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States, including their dependents, and include information that such persons are potentially subject to the criminal jurisdiction of the United States under the Act.
(i) For members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees of the Department of Defense and civilians accompanying the Armed Forces overseas, notice and briefings on the applicability of the Act shall, at a minimum, be provided to them and their dependents when travel orders are issued and, again, upon their arrival at command military installations or place of duty outside the United States.
(ii) For civilian employees, contractors (including subcontractors at any tier), and employees of contractors (including subcontractors at any tier) of any other Federal agency, or any provisional authority, permit such persons to attend the above-referenced briefings on a voluntary basis. In addition, to the maximum extent practicable, make available to representatives of such other Federal agencies or provisional authorities such notice and briefing materials as is provided to civilian employees, contractors, and contractor employees of the Department of Defense overseas.
(4) Failure to provide notice or orientation training pursuant to paragraphs (f)(2) and (f)(3) of this section shall not create any rights or privileges in the persons referenced and shall not operate to defeat the jurisdiction of a court of the United States or provide a defense or other remedy in any proceeding arising under the Act or this part.
(5) Provide training to personnel who are authorized under the Act and designated pursuant to this part to make arrests outside the United States of persons who allegedly committed a violation of section 3261(a) of the Act. The training, at a minimum, shall include the rights of individuals subject to arrest.