Shawn Harwood is a retired federal law enforcement professional with over 25 years of service, culminating in his role as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Country Attaché in Mainland China. During his six-year deployment, he built and maintained productive relationships with senior Chinese authorities, including the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of China Customs. His work led to groundbreaking successes in fentanyl interdiction, counterfeit pharmaceutical enforcement, and the 2021 implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) from within China.

Throughout his career, Mr. Harwood held key international leadership roles. In Beijing and Guangzhou, he oversaw HSI operations, maintained a full investigative case load, served as liaison to the U.S. Department of State, and directed high-impact programs focused on transnational crime and supply chain enforcement.

His earlier assignments include leadership within the HSI Attaché office in London, where he worked alongside British law enforcement on arms trafficking cases and intelligence coordination. In Washington, D.C., he supported Attaché operations across Europe, authored international engagement policy, and shaped HSI’s asset forfeiture strategy. He began his career as a Border Patrol Agent in Texas, following an early role as an economist at the Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income Division.

Today, Mr. Harwood leads a consultancy focused on supply chain risk management, human rights due diligence, and customs compliance. He also develops coursework on border security and crisis response for Virginia Commonwealth University.