I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9667 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities for 

outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Ms. SPANBERGER (for herself and Mr. CRENSHAW) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in 

addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance 

capabilities for outbound inspections at the southern land 

border, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing South5 bound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT2 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com3 mittees’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Appropriations of 

5 the Senate; 

6 (B) the Committee on Homeland Security 

7 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 

8 (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

9 Senate; 

10 (D) the Committee on Appropriations of 

11 the House of Representatives; 

12 (E) the Committee on Homeland Security 

13 of the House of Representatives; and 

14 (F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

15 House of Representatives. 

16 (2) SOUTHERN BORDER.—The term ‘‘Southern 

17 Border’’ means the international land border be18 tween the United States and Mexico. 

19 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTEC20 TION PERSONNEL FOR SOUTHBOUND IN21 SPECTIONS. 

22 (a) CBP OFFICERS.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

23 Customs and Border Protection shall hire, train, and as24 sign not fewer than 500 new officers to assist with inspecVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:20 Oct 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9667.IH H9667

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1 tions of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and other modes of 

2 transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico. 

3 (b) SUPPORT STAFF.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

4 Customs and Border Protection is authorized to hire, 

5 train, and assign such additional support staff as may be 

6 necessary to support the functions carried out by the offi7 cers hired pursuant to subsection (a). 

8 SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND INFRA9 STRUCTURE. 

10 (a) IMAGING SYSTEMS.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

11 Customs and Border Protection is authorized— 

12 (1) to purchase up to 50 additional non-intru13 sive imaging systems; and 

14 (2) to procure additional associated supporting 

15 infrastructure. 

16 (b) DEPLOYMENT.—The systems and infrastructure 

17 purchased or otherwise procured pursuant to subsection 

18 (a) shall be deployed along the Southern Border for the 

19 primary purpose of inspecting any persons, conveyances, 

20 or modes of transportation traveling from the United 

21 States to Mexico. 

22 (c) ALTERNATIVE EQUIPMENT.—The Commissioner 

23 of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is authorized to 

24 procure additional infrastructure or alternative inspection 

25 equipment that the Commissioner deems necessary for the 


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1 purpose of inspecting any persons, conveyances, or modes 

2 of transportation traveling from the United States to Mex3 ico. 

4 (d) SUNSET.—Subsections (a) and (c) shall cease to 

5 have force and effect beginning on the date that is 5 years 

6 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

7 SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGA8 TIONS PERSONNEL FOR INVESTIGATIONS OF 

9 SOUTHBOUND SMUGGLING. 

10 (a) HSI SPECIAL AGENTS.—The Director of U.S. 

11 Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, 

12 and assign— 

13 (1) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security 

14 Investigations special agents to primarily assist with 

15 investigations involving the smuggling of currency 

16 and firearms from the United States to Mexico; and 

17 (2) not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security 

18 Investigations special agents to assist with investiga19 tions involving the smuggling of contraband, human 

20 trafficking and smuggling (including that of chil21 dren), drug smuggling, and unauthorized entry into 

22 the United States from Mexico. 

23 (b) SUPPORT STAFF.—The Director is authorized to 

24 hire, train, and assign such additional support staff as 


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1 may be necessary to support the functions carried out by 

2 the special agents hired pursuant to subsection (a). 

3 SEC. 6. REPORT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home6 land Security shall submit a report to the appropriate con7 gressional committees that— 

8 (1) identifies the resources provided, including 

9 equipment, personnel, and infrastructure, and the 

10 annual budget to carry out outbound and inbound 

11 inspections, including, to the extent practicable, re12 sources specifically used for inspections of any indi13 viduals and modes of transportation— 

14 (A) from the United States to Mexico or to 

15 Canada; and 

16 (B) from Mexico or Canada into the 

17 United States. 

18 (2) describes the operational cadence of all out19 bound and inbound inspections of individuals and 

20 conveyances traveling from the United States to 

21 Mexico or to Canada and from Mexico or Canada 

22 into the United States, described as a percentage of 

23 total encounters or as the total number of inspec24 tions conducted; 


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1 (3) describes any plans that would allow for the 

2 use of alternative inspection sites near a port of 

3 entry; 

4 (4) includes an estimate of— 

5 (A) the number of vehicles and convey6 ances that can be inspected with up to 50 addi7 tional non-intrusive imaging systems dedicated 

8 to southbound inspections; and 

9 (B) the number of vehicles and convey10 ances that can be inspected with up to 50 addi11 tional non-intrusive imaging systems that may 

12 be additionally dedicated to inbound inspections 

13 along the southwest border; and 

14 (5) assesses the capability of inbound inspec15 tions by authorities of the Government of Mexico, in 

16 cooperation with United States law enforcement 

17 agencies, to detect and interdict the flow of illicit 

18 weapons and currency being smuggled— 

19 (A) from the United States to Mexico; and 

20 (B) from Mexico into the United States. 

21 (b) CLASSIFICATION.—The report submitted pursu22 ant to subsection (a), or any part of such report, may be 

23 classified or provided with other appropriate safeguards 

24 to prevent public dissemination. 


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1 SEC. 7. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION 

2 REQUIREMENT. 

3 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than March 30, 2027, 

4 the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure, to the 

5 extent practicable, that not fewer than 10 percent of all 

6 conveyances and other modes of transportation traveling 

7 from the United States to Mexico are inspected before 

8 leaving the United States. 

9 (b) AUTHORIZED INSPECTION ACTIVITIES.—Inspec10 tions required pursuant to subsection (a) may include non11 intrusive imaging, physical inspections by officers or ca12 nine units, or other means authorized by the Secretary 

13 of Homeland Security. 

14 (c) REPORT ON ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS CAPABILI15 TIES.—Not later than March 30, 2028, the Secretary of 

16 Homeland Security shall submit a report to the appro17 priate congressional committees assessing the Department 

18 of Homeland Security’s timeline and resource require19 ments for increasing inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent 

20 of all conveyances and modes of transportation traveling 

21 from the United States to Mexico. 

22 SEC. 8. CURRENCY AND FIREARMS SEIZURES QUARTERLY 

23 REPORT. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days there26 after until the date that is 4 years after such date of enVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:20 Oct 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9667.IH H9667

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1 actment, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 

2 Protection shall submit a report to the appropriate con3 gressional committees that describes the seizure of cur4 rency, firearms, and ammunition attempted to be traf5 ficked out of the United States. 

6 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted pursuant to 

7 subsection (a) shall include, for the most recent 90-day 

8 period for which such information is available— 

9 (1) the total number of currency seizures that 

10 occurred from outbound inspections at United States 

11 ports of entry; 

12 (2) the total dollar amount associated with the 

13 currency seizures referred to in paragraph (1); 

14 (3) the total number of firearms seized from 

15 outbound inspections at United States ports of 

16 entry; 

17 (4) the total number of ammunition rounds 

18 seized from outbound inspections at United States 

19 ports of entry; and 

20 (5) the total number of incidents of firearm sei21 zures and ammunition seizures that occurred at 

22 United States ports of entry. 

Æ 


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