The CICIG, which was implemented in 2007, is part of an effort to establish effective judicial institutions in Guatemala. The body is legally empowered to collaborate with the country's prosecutors to investigate criminal activity related to corruption. Guatemala and neighboring Honduras and El Salvador are part of Central America's Northern Triangle, an area known for historically weak institutions and rule of law. High crime in the region, coupled with a largely ineffective legal system, pose problems for the United States because local authorities cannot efficiently address specific U.S. security concerns. Among them are ongoing illegal migration and drug trafficking from Central America to the United States. In an attempt to solve — or at least to alleviate — these intractable long-term issues, the United States has tried to build more robust judicial and law enforcement institutions in the region.