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Come along with us as we attend Homeland Security Investigations Citizens Academy

We will soon have an inside look at how the Homeland Security Investigations work. HSI special agents launched the inaugural Citizens' Academy in Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas — "We have a finite number of resources, finite number of special agents out there, so we rely heavily on the community,” said Shane Folden, HSI Special Agent in Charge, San Antonio.

Homeland Security Investigations special agents seek out gun, drug and human smugglers. They track counterfeit goods.

KVUE Defenders will learn how they work.

HSI launched the inaugural citizens academy in Austin. Special agents showed the KVUE Defenders items they find in their investigations.

We told you how HSI special agents track foreign scams across the world.

HSI caught Nigerian men in Austin who were sending scam proceeds to Nigeria through Canada.

RELATED: Inside international fraud rings: How Central Texans become targets

We took you inside at how criminals target home buyers, exposed how smugglers use "fake families" to get into the country.

"Our goal is to protect America, to protect the neighborhood, to protect the community. We can't do that alone. So, we rely on folks out there in our community, which is why the academy like this are so important,” said Folden.

The academy runs seven weeks.

It will cover document fraud, gun smuggling, forensic analysis, cyber crime, defensive tactics and major disciplines.

HSI conducts investigations for DHS. HSI special agents do not patrol the border, work as Custom’s officers at Ports of Entries, nor remove people from the country.

If you have questions you’d like us to ask, email us defenders@kvue.com or reach out to investigative reporter Erica Proffer on Facebook.

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