,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ajdh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bi1 #bjbc,mr4 ,graham 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,hawley1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,mr4 ,lee1 and ,mr4 ,braun7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence ,a ,,bill ,to designate ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and recognizing the threats those organizations pose to the people of the ,united ,states as terrorism1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,ending the ,notorious1 ,aggressive1 and ,remorseless ,criminal ,organizations and ,syndicates ,act of #bjbc or the ,ending the ,,narcos ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the national security of the ,united ,states1 along with the health and safety of the citizens of the ,united ,states1 is under attack by ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that engage in acts of terrorism to exploit the borders of the ,united ,states and further their unlawful business of producing and importing illicitly manufactured fentanyl1 a substance that kills hundreds of thousands of people in the ,united ,states each year1 methamphetamine1 and other controlled substances4 7#b7 ,fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to #ej times stronger than heroin and #ajj times stronger than morphine1 and some fentanyl-related substances can have even greater potency4 7#c7 ,although pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain1 illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are created using precursor chemicals that are predominantly imported from ,china and distributed through illegal drug markets1 most commonly by ,mexican cartels across the southern border4 7#d7 ,according to the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 nearly #aaj1jjj people in the ,united ,states died during fiscal year #bjbb from drug overdoses4 7#e7 ,approximately #ff percent of those deaths in fiscal year #bjbb related to illicitly manufactured fentanyl4 7#f7 ,in ,december #bjbb1 the ,washington ,post reported that1 from #bjai to #bjba1 fatal fentanyl overdoses surged #id percent and an estimated #aif people in the ,united ,states are now dying each day from the drug1 which is the equivalent of a fully loaded ,boeing #geg-bjj crashing and killing everyone on board every day4 7#g7 ,the single largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on ,united ,states soil was the ,september #aa terrorist attacks1 which killed #b1igg people1 and fentanyl overdoses cause the equivalent of a new ,september #aa nearly every #b weeks4 7#h7 ,in fiscal year #bjbb1 the ,united ,states suffered more fentanyl-related deaths than gun- and auto-related deaths combined4 7#i7 ,illicit fentanyl is now the number one cause of death among people in the ,united ,states between the ages of #ah and #de4 7#aj7 ,a #bjag analysis1 accounting for the costs of health care1 criminal justice1 lost productivity and social and family services1 estimated that the total cost of the drug epidemic of the ,united ,states facilitated by ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations was more than #a1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj annually1 or #e percent of gross domestic product4 7#aa7 ,law enforcement and immigration officers report that smugglers evade apprehension and successfully bring large quantities of fentanyl1 methamphetamine1 and other illicit drugs into the ,united ,states4 7#ab7 ,despite seizures both at and between ports of entry1 like the recent seizure by ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection of nearly #ed pounds of fentanyl pills and #cb pounds of methamphetamine at the ,andrade ,port of ,entry1 domestic supply of these controlled substances indicate a massive amount of controlled substances are still pouring across our border4 7#ac7 ,the ,federal ,government possesses unutilized resources and lawful measures to combat the cartels through the designation of those groups as foreign terrorist organizations4 7#ad7 ,foreign terrorist organizations are foreign organizations that are designated by the ,secretary of ,state in accordance with section #bai of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahi74 7#ae7 ,the designation of organizations as foreign terrorist organizations plays a critical role in the fight against terrorism and is an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business because such a designation gives law enforcement agencies and prosecutors greater powers to freeze the assets of an organization1 to deny members of the organization entry into the ,united ,states1 and to seek tougher punishments against those who provide material support to the organization4 7#af7 ,under section #bai of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahi71 the ,secretary of ,state may designate an organization as a foreign terrorist organization if-- 7,a7 the organization is a foreign organization2 7,b7 the organization engages in terrorist activity or terrorism1 or retains the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism2 and 7,c7 the terrorist activity or terrorism of the organization threatens the security of ,united ,states nationals or the national security of the ,united ,states4 7#ag7 ,mexican cartels satisfy each of those three criteria1 as they are foreign organizations based outside the ,united ,states1 they engage in terrorist activity such as assassinations1 kidnaping1 or use of explosives and firearms1 and their terrorist activities threaten the security of the ,united ,states and the people of the ,united ,states4 7#ah7 ,for instance1 four ,united ,states citizens1 including #c people from ,south ,carolina1 were recently kidnaped by ,mexican drug cartels in ,matamoros1 ,mexico1 where at least #b were tragically killed in cartel violence4 7#ai7 ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations1 as foreign organizations1 make billions of dollars each year importing deadly drugs into the ,united ,states1 especially fentanyl and methamphetamine1 which results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in the ,united ,states each year4 7#bj7 ,united ,states ,southern ,command reports that criminal organizations1 including drug cartels1 in their ,area of ,responsibility generate an estimated annual revenue of approximately #cjj1jjj1jjj1jjj more than #e-times the combined defense budget for the region1 including ,mexico4 7#ba7 ,the death and destruction caused by the illicit drug trade is not limited to overdoses and gang violence1 rather1 it extends to a significant proportion of nearly all other criminal activity in the ,united ,states1 including burglary1 carjacking1 robbery1 aggravated assault1 domestic violence1 felony traffic violations1 and much more1 and it also extends to drug addictions that often result in homelessness1 suicide1 human trafficking1 child sex trafficking1 broken families1 birth defects1 and other maladies that are devastating communities across the ,united ,states4 7#bb7 ,the national security threat posed by ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations extends beyond the sale of fentanyl and other drugs1 as these organizations have also shown a lethal willingness to protect their business by any means necessary1 including organizing ,armed ,forces to fight both their rivals and the ,government of ,mexico1 creating a dangerous and unstable situation on the southern border of the ,united ,states with innocent people of the ,united ,states caught in the crossfire4 7#bc7 ,the chaos and calamity caused by ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations at the southern border teeters on all-out war1 with the ,government of ,mexico deploying more than #bjj1jjj ,federal troops to fight the cartels1 and even with that military presence1 the kidnaping1 decapitations1 and terror continue1 including on and near ,united ,states soil4 7#bd7 ,according to statistics of the ,united ,nations1 the homicide rate in the ,united ,states ,southern ,command's ,area of ,responsibility was a staggering #ae4g per #ajj1jjj in #bjbj1 out of a global average of #e4f per #ajj1jjj1 no doubt due to the violence of transnational criminal organizations in the region4 7#be7 ,the ,department of ,state has already recognized the reality of the terror caused by ,mexican cartels1 issuing its highest level of travel warning for all but #b of ,mexico's #cb ,states due to increased threats of crime and kidnaping and having already named ,colombia-based groups like the ,revolutionary ,armed ,forces of ,colombia-,people's ,army 7,,farc-,,ep71 ,revolutionary ,armed ,forces of ,colombia-,segunda ,marquetalia 7,,farc-,,sm71 and the ,national ,liberation ,army 7,,eln7 as foreign terrorist organizations4 7#bf7 ,there are already known links between transnational criminal organizations and designated foreign terrorist organizations1 such as ,hezbollah1 al-,qaeda1 ,hamas1 and the ,islamic ,state4 7#bg7 ,existing counter-narcotics efforts under the ,foreign ,narcotics ,kingpin ,designation ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #aija et seq471 focusing on financial sanctions1 and designating these organizations as foreign terrorist organizations are better methods for addressing the increasing violence and supply of deadly fentanyl and other drugs being shipped across the border4 7#bh7 ,designating ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations would enable-- 7,a7 the use of section #ajaj;,a of the ,controlled ,substances ,import and ,export ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #ifj;a7 to prosecute drug traffickers associated with these organizations for providing pecuniary support to a foreign terrorist organization2 7,b7 the use of section #bcci;,b of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 to prosecute anyone who knowingly provides material support or resources to these organizations1 including paying human traffickers or those who provide any logistical support or services to these organizations2 7,c7 the use of such section #bcci;,b to impose civil penalties on any financial institution that fails to freeze and report any funds in which these organizations have any interest2 and 7,d7 through those statutes1 the use of extraterritorial jurisdiction to target and prosecute foreign nationals involved with ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations4 #c4 ,designation of certain drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations 7a7 ,designations ,the following cartels1 including any faction of such a cartel1 associated forces1 or subsequent groups1 are hereby deemed to be foreign terrorist organizations pursuant to section #bai of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahi73 7#a7 ,the ,sinaloa ,cartel4 7#b7 ,the ,jalisco ,new ,generation ,cartel4 7#c7 ,the ,gulf ,cartel4 7#d7 ,the ,los ,zetas ,cartel4 7#e7 ,the ,northeast ,cartel4 7#f7 ,the ,juarez ,cartel4 7#g7 ,the ,tijuana ,cartel4 7#h7 ,the ,beltran-,leyva ,cartel4 7#i7 ,the ,la ,familia ,michoacana1 also known as the ,knight ,templar ,cartel4 7b7 ,limitation ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the designation of any organization as a foreign terrorist organization under this section shall not provide a basis for any alien to obtain any withholding1 deferral1 relief1 or protection from removal of any kind4 #d4 ,establishment of ,interagency ,task ,force to ,combat ,mexican ,cartels and ,other ,transnational ,criminal ,organizations 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,agencies ,the term agencies has the meaning given the term ,executive agencies in section #aje of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress ,the term appropriate committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,finance1 and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,transnational criminal organization ,the term transnational criminal organization means a group of persons1 such as those set forth under section #c7;a71 that includes-- 7,a7 one or more foreign persons2 7,b7 that engages in an ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity involving the jurisdictions of at least #b foreign countries2 and 7,c7 that threatens the national security1 foreign policy1 or economy of the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,establishment 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of ,national ,intelligence shall establish an interagency task force on combating ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations4 7#b7 ,designation ,the task force established under paragraph 7#a7 shall be known as the ,interagency ,task ,force to ,combat ,mexican ,cartels and ,other ,transnational ,criminal ,organizations 7in this section referred to as the ,task ,force74 7c7 ,composition ,the ,task ,force shall be composed of the following1 or their designees3 7#a7 ,the ,director of ,national ,intelligence4 7#b7 ,the ,secretary of ,state4 7#c7 ,the ,secretary of ,defense4 7#d7 ,the ,attorney ,general4 7#e7 ,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security4 7#f7 ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury4 7d7 ,head of ,task ,force ,the ,director of ,national ,intelligence shall be the head of the ,task ,force4 7e7 ,primary missions ,the primary missions of the ,task ,force are as follows3 7#a7 ,to eliminate the threat posed to the ,united ,states by ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations1 including any and all violence perpetrated by such groups against the ,united ,states or the citizens of the ,united ,states including the threat posed by the distribution of controlled substances into the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,to serve as the primary organization in the ,united ,states ,government for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the ,united ,states ,government pertaining to ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations4 7#c7 ,to conduct strategic international operational planning for activities to counter the ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations1 integrating all instruments of national power1 including diplomatic1 financial1 military1 intelligence1 homeland security1 and law enforcement activities within and among agencies4 7#d7 ,to assign roles and responsibilities as part of its strategic operational planning duties to lead agencies1 as appropriate1 for activities to counter the ,mexican cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that are consistent with applicable provisions of law and that support strategic operational plans1 but shall not direct the execution of any resulting operations4 7#e7 ,to ensure that agencies1 as appropriate1 have access to and receive all-source intelligence support needed to execute their plans or perform independent1 alternative analysis4 7#f7 ,to ensure that such agencies have access to and receive intelligence needed to accomplish their assigned activities4 7#g7 ,to serve as the central and shared knowledge repository on known and suspected cartel or transnational criminal organization members1 as well as their goals1 strategies1 capabilities1 and networks of contacts and support4 7f7 ,initial report required 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,task ,force shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a detailed report regarding-- 7,a7 any other ,mexican cartels1 or factions of cartels1 and transnational criminal organizations that should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations under section #bai of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahi71 including the criteria justifying each such designation2 7,b7 any foreign organization which provides illicit services to ,mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations1 including controlled substance precursor chemicals and money laundering services1 and whether they qualify as a foreign terrorist organization under section #bai of such ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahi72 7,c7 any current ,government policy1 law1 or position that prevents the ,united ,states ,government from accomplishing the goal of eradicating the ,mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations1 or stopping the flow of controlled substances into the ,united ,states2 and 7,d7 a detailed plan to expand the intelligence gathering and sharing capability of the ,united ,states ,government to eradicate the ,mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations1 including any steps that ,congress must take to streamline this intelligence process4 7#b7 ,form ,the report submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4