CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cardell T. Morant reported to duty as the new special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte. In this role, he leads 191 special agents, criminal analysts, and administrative staff in eight field offices covering the full spectrum of HSI investigative activities in North and South Carolina.
“I am humbled and excited to serve in this prestigious office alongside the talented and passionate people that makeup HSI Charlotte. I look forward to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners and nongovernmental organizations to safeguard and uphold public safety,” said Morant.
Morant began his federal career in October 1994 as an import specialist with the U.S. Customs Service in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1997, he became a special agent with the U.S. Customs Service, assigned to the Resident Agent in Charge office in San Ysidro, California.
Morant is a native of South Carolina and holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. He has served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Prior to this assignment, Mr. Morant served as an assistant director at HSI Headquarters and in August 2021 was appointed by the DHS deputy secretary to serve as the first director of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, where, from August 2021 until May 2024, he led the department’s collaborative effort to combat human trafficking and prevent goods produced with forced labor from entering the U.S. supply chain.
Additionally, he served as in leadership positions as the special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, deputy special agent in charge of HSI Baltimore, assistant special agent in charge in HSI Houston and the unit chief and acting deputy assistant director of the Cyber Crimes Center, where he oversaw the Child Exploitation Program, the Computer Forensics Program and the Cyber Crimes Program. He has also served as a group supervisor in HSI San Diego, an assistant special agent in charge with HSI San Diego and the deputy special agent in charge of HSI Houston.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.