WASHINGTON (Echosphere News) — The IRS Criminal Investigations unit, facing substantial staffing cuts, has redirected its efforts towards new priorities like immigration enforcement and assisting National Guard operations in key metropolitan areas. This transformation in focus comes amid a reported 10% decrease in agency personnel, with the Criminal Investigations team shrinking from 3,474 to 3,143 agents to date.
Guy Ficco, the Chief of the IRS Criminal Investigations, highlighted the agency's adaptability in managing these increasing responsibilities amidst the drastic drop in staff. We’ve seen a significant reduction in our workforce, yet the challenges keep growing, especially as we navigate new administration directives, he told Echosphere News.
This year, agents have dedicated substantial resources to support National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., as well as in Memphis, where crime response efforts have requested additional support. Agents have also prioritized tracking undocumented individuals, with 250 deployed since May to assist with arrests and deportations, highlighting a significant departure from traditional tax-related work.
Despite expanding duties, there has been a noticeable decline in tax evasion investigations, with IRS Criminal Investigations issuing just 834 prosecution recommendations for tax crimes, down from previous years. A sharp decrease was noted specifically in cases of tax evasion, which fell from 92 in 2024 to just 34 this year, raising concerns that essential tax enforcement is being compromised amid broader mission shifts.
As the IRS aims to effectively balance its traditional responsibilities with these new challenges, the agency's capacity for criminal investigation is under scrutiny as it responds to a more diversified set of operational demands while navigating workforce shortages.
