Vindman, Crenshaw Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Crack Down on Cartel Smuggling Operations at Southern Border

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas-02) today introduced bipartisan legislation to tackle the fentanyl crisis by combatting the flow of illicit firearms and money that fuel cartel operations.

"I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to disrupt the transnational criminal networks that threaten America's national security and take on the criminals selling fentanyl. Cartels are not just Mexico's problem - they are a direct threat to communities across our Commonwealth and country," said Vindman. "By expanding outbound inspections, we can cut off the weapons, cash, and resources that fuel their violence and criminal operations at and beyond our southern border."

"The cartels flooding our country with fentanyl aren't someone else's problem - they are a direct national security threat to the United States. If we're serious about stopping them, we have to cut off the weapons, cash, and resources that keep them alive," said Crenshaw. "Expanding outbound inspections is a commonsense step to choke off cartel power and protect American communities."

The Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act would strengthen border security by expanding inspections of outbound traffic from the United States to Mexico. The bill equips U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with additional personnel and resources to disrupt the flow of illicit firearms and cash that fuel cartel violence and fentanyl trafficking.

Specifically, the Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act would:

• Authorize at least 100 Homeland Security Investigators (HSI) agents to investigate drug smuggling, human trafficking, child trafficking, and unauthorized entries from Mexico into the U.S.
• Authorize at least 100 HSI agents to investigate the smuggling of guns and money at the southern border.
• Authorize 50 additional non-intrusive imaging systems and the procurement of additional infrastructure or alternative inspection equipment at the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Require that at least 10 percent of all southbound vehicles be inspected, to the extent practical, and require the DHS Secretary to submit a report one year after the bill's enactment on the feasibility of increasing inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent.

Companion legislation is led in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

BACKGROUND

Cartels and other transnational criminal organizations are exploiting gaps in outbound inspection enforcement to traffic firearms, drug money, and other contraband into Mexico - fueling the illegal drug trade, human trafficking, and violent crime. These groups rely on a steady flow of weapons and cash to sustain their operations. Strengthening outbound inspections is critical to cutting off those resources and deterring criminal activity.

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