AG Zoeller Appointed To National Advisory Board

CWAG Alliance Partnership Develops Cross-Border Legal Relationships  

INDIANAPOLIS – In recognition of his commitment and ongoing efforts to build relationships with attorney general counterparts in countries like Mexico and Cuba, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has been named to the Alliance Partnership of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) Advisory Board.

Zoeller has been involved for several years in multi-state and bi-national efforts with other state AGs to combat international crime, and support rule of law in both the U.S. and Mexico.

“I am honored to continue my involvement in the Alliance Partnership and its mission,” Zoeller said.  “The issues we tackle are not isolated and require ongoing dialogue and training with our Latin American neighbors to advance the rule of law and in combating the cross-border issues like human trafficking and transnational violence.”

The Conference of Western Attorneys General coordinates the efforts of the Alliance Partnership which leverages funding from the State Department and other entities who support Rule of Law programming.  There are 42 United States Attorneys General Offices participating in the training of Mexican State Attorneys General Offices, and other Mexican justice and law enforcement entities.  CWAG has 34 participating Mexican jurisdictions and more than a dozen additional Mexican federal and State partnering agencies.

The most recent exchange occurred this past September when the Partnership sponsored Zoeller and a team of United States Attorneys General in an exchange in Cuba.  The team met with their Cuban counterparts and interacted with members of the Cuban legal community in an ongoing multi-state effort to combat human and drug trafficking.  The cost of the trip, and all trips, are handled by the Alliance Partnership and are not paid for with Indiana tax dollars.

“These exchanges offer valuable insights for every participant,” Zoeller added. “Despite differences in our legal systems, every country faces serious common problems and we need to collaborate to fight transnational crime.”

The September meetings in Cuba, were one of several previous meetings organized by the CWAG Alliance Partnership between state AGs from the U.S. and their counterparts in Mexico and other Latin American nations.

Zoeller has initiated partnerships between the Alliance Partnership and the Wilson Center.  In September 2010, Zoeller’s office hosted a training event , attended by 70 prosecutors and investigators from Mexico that focused on Mexico’s rule of law. Zoeller and former United States Senator, Richard Lugar keynoted that program.

In October 2015, Zoeller and a group of other state AGs from the U.S. attended a two-day conference in Mexico City and met with that nation’s criminal justice officials to discuss the problems of human trafficking, drug trafficking and Internet privacy.

Zoeller also serves as the National Association of Attorneys General liaison to the United States Trade Representative and is a member of the United States Global Leadership Coalition’s Indiana Advisory Committee.