Spanberger and Crenshaw lead bipartisan effort to combat gun and cash smuggling by cartels at the southern border

The bipartisan “Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act” would crack down on outbound smuggling operations and cut off resources to cartels

The accompanying legislation is led in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators James Lankford and Maggie Hassan

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-02) — both members of the U.S. House Committee on Intelligence — today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase inspections of exit traffic from the United States to Mexico and provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with additional personnel and resources to combat the flow of illicit firearms and cash that fund cartel operations, such as fentanyl trafficking.

Cartels—or transnational criminal organizations—exploit enforcement gaps in outbound inspections to smuggle firearms, illegal drug sales proceeds, and other contraband into Mexico to fuel illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other criminal activities. These criminals rely on a steady supply of firearms and ammunition to fuel their operations. Outbound inspections deter criminal activity by cutting off the resources cartels need to continue their illegal activities. Between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, CBP’s Office of Field Operations seized $58 million in currency and 2,306 firearms through outbound inspections. However, these inspections are not conducted consistently along our southern border.

The two parties Improving inspections in the south to combat cartels would strengthen outbound inspection processes at the southern border to cut off resources from cartels and disrupt organized criminal activity. The bipartisan legislation would require CBP to hire additional officers to assist with outbound inspections and would require ICE to hire additional Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel to primarily assist with investigations involving currency and firearms smuggling at the southern border. Additionally, the legislation would authorize the purchase of additional non-intrusive imaging systems — technology that allows law enforcement to screen a greater portion of traffic at the southern border more quickly and efficiently.

“As a former CIA case officer who tracked cartels, I understand how these criminals smuggle firearms and bulk currency across our southern border to move the illicit proceeds that continue to fuel their criminal activities. We must continue to work to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl into our communities — and we can do that by working to stop the steady flow of contraband that sustains the drug trade,” said Spanberger. “We must provide the men and women securing our southern border with the resources they need to cut off this supply and keep our communities safe. I am grateful to my colleague, Representative Crenshaw, for working with me to disrupt the transnational organized crime that threatens American security at and beyond our southern border.”

“Guns and money flowing south are fueling the cartel war in Mexico and the fentanyl crisis that is poisoning Americans. We must stop the flow,” said Crenshaw. “Currently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not have the resources to monitor flows south, but this bill helps fix that and is a positive step in fighting the cartels and disrupting their business.”

More specifically the Improving anti-cartel inspections to the south would:

• Authorize at least 500 CBP officers to assist with inspections of outbound flights at the southern border.

• Authorize at least 500 HSI special agents to primarily assist in investigations into currency and firearms smuggling across the southern border.

• Authorize an additional 50 non-intrusive imaging systems and the purchase of additional infrastructure or alternative inspection equipment at the U.S.-Mexico border.

• Requires that at least 10 percent of all outbound transportation be inspected at the southern border, to the extent practicable, and requires the Secretary of DHS to submit a report one year after the bill’s enactment on the feasibility of increasing the inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent.

In the U.S. Senate, the initiative for additional legislation is being led by U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

Click here for the full text of the bill.

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