II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5315 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance border security 

by seeking to expand partnerships with appropriate law enforcement 

entities in Mexico and Central American and South American countries 

to combat human smuggling and trafficking operations in Mexico and 

such countries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2024 

Mr. PETERS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance 

border security by seeking to expand partnerships with 

appropriate law enforcement entities in Mexico and Central American and South American countries to combat 

human smuggling and trafficking operations in Mexico 

and such countries, 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 ‘‘Cooperation on Com5 bating Human Smuggling and Trafficking Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PARTNER2 SHIPS TO COMBAT HUMAN SMUGGLING AND 

3 TRAFFICKING. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu5 rity, in coordination with appropriate Federal partners, 

6 shall enhance border security by seeking to expand part7 nerships with appropriate law enforcement entities in 

8 Mexico and Central American and South American coun9 tries to combat human smuggling and trafficking oper10 ations in Mexico and such countries, including by— 

11 (1) establishing or expanding cross-border 

12 transnational criminal investigative units to identify, 

13 disrupt, and support the prosecution of human 

14 smuggling and trafficking operations; 

15 (2) enhancing participation in the Bilateral 

16 Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative or a suc17 cessor initiative; and 

18 (3) providing advanced training for certain in19 vestigators and prosecutors from Mexico and other 

20 Latin American countries. 

21 (b) INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF HUMAN

22 SMUGGLING AND TRAFFICKING.—The Secretary of 

23 Homeland Security shall seek to expand collaborative pro24 grams involving Homeland Security Investigations that 

25 are aimed at supporting the investigation and prosecution 

26 of human smugglers and traffickers targeting children and 


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1 families that pose border security threats and operate at 

2 the southern land border of the United States, including 

3 the continuation and expansion of anti-trafficking coordi4 nation teams. 

5 (c) INFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO DETER MIGRA6 TION.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

8 Security shall carry out targeted public information 

9 campaigns— 

10 (A) to inform targeted migrant populations 

11 within Mexico, Central America, South Amer12 ica, and certain other countries with high mi13 gration rates regarding the dangers of travel 

14 across Mexico to the United States; and 

15 (B) to combat misinformation and 

16 disinformation by transnational criminal organi17 zations and other nefarious actors regarding 

18 United States laws or policies. 

19 (2) SPECIFICATIONS.—The information cam20 paigns implemented pursuant to paragraph (1) shall, 

21 to the greatest extent possible— 

22 (A) be targeted at populations and local23 ities with high migration rates; 

24 (B) employ a variety of communications 

25 media; and 


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1 (C) be developed in consultation with ap2 propriate program officials of the Department 

3 of State and, as appropriate, Mexican, Central 

4 American, South American, and other appro5 priate foreign governments, nonprofit or aca6 demic entities, and representatives acting on be7 half of targeted migrant populations, including 

8 repatriated migrants. 

Æ 


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