PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 126 STAT. 1487 

Public Law 112–205 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To establish a Border Enforcement Security Task Force program to enhance border 

security by fostering coordinated efforts among Federal, State, and local border 

and law enforcement officials to protect United States border cities and communities from trans-national crime, including violence associated with drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, and 

kidnapping along and across the international borders of the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement 

Security Task Force Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) overriding mission is to lead a unified national effort to protect 

the United States. United States Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative agency within 

DHS and is charged with enforcing a wide array of laws, 

including laws related to securing the border and combating 

criminal smuggling. 

(2) Mexico’s northern border with the United States has 

experienced a dramatic surge in border crime and violence 

in recent years due to intense competition between Mexican 

drug cartels and criminal smuggling organizations that employ 

predatory tactics to realize their profits. 

(3) Law enforcement agencies at the United States northern 

border also face challenges from transnational smuggling 

organizations. 

(4) In response, DHS has partnered with Federal, State, 

local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement counterparts to create 

the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) initiative 

as a comprehensive approach to addressing border security 

threats. These multi-agency teams are designed to increase 

information-sharing and collaboration among the participating 

law enforcement agencies. 

(5) BEST teams incorporate personnel from ICE, United 

States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 

Firearms and Explosives (ATFE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and 

the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), along with other key Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies. 

6 USC 240 note. 

6 USC 101 note. 

Jaime Zapata 

Border 

Enforcement 

Security Task 

Force Act. 

Dec. 7, 2012 

[H.R. 915] 


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126 STAT. 1488 PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 

(6) Foreign law enforcement agencies participating in BEST 

include Mexico’s Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), the 

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Ontario Provincial 

Police (OPP), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). 

SEC. 3. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 432. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Department a program to be known as the Border Enforcement Security 

Task Force (referred to in this section as ‘BEST’). 

‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of BEST is to establish units to 

enhance border security by addressing and reducing border security 

threats and violence by— 

‘‘(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, State, local, 

tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies to execute coordinated activities in furtherance of border security, and homeland 

security; and 

‘‘(2) enhancing information-sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security information among such agencies. 

‘‘(c) COMPOSITION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITS.— 

‘‘(1) COMPOSITION.—BEST units may be comprised of personnel from— 

‘‘(A) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 

‘‘(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 

‘‘(C) the United States Coast Guard; 

‘‘(D) other Department personnel, as appropriate 

‘‘(E) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 

‘‘(F) appropriate State law enforcement agencies; 

‘‘(G) foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate; 

‘‘(H) local law enforcement agencies from affected 

border cities and communities; and 

‘‘(I) appropriate tribal law enforcement agencies. 

‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITS.—The Secretary is authorized to establish BEST units in jurisdictions in which such 

units can contribute to BEST missions, as appropriate. Before 

establishing a BEST unit, the Secretary shall consider— 

‘‘(A) whether the area in which the BEST unit would 

be established is significantly impacted by cross-border 

threats; 

‘‘(B) the availability of Federal, State, local, tribal, 

and foreign law enforcement resources to participate in 

the BEST unit; 

‘‘(C) the extent to which border security threats are 

having a significant harmful impact in the jurisdiction 

in which the BEST unit is to be established, and other 

jurisdictions in the country; and 

‘‘(D) whether or not an Integrated Border Enforcement 

Team already exists in the area in which the BEST unit 

would be established. 

‘‘(3) DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS.—In determining whether 

to establish a new BEST unit or to expand an existing BEST 

unit in a given jurisdiction, the Secretary shall ensure that 

the BEST unit under consideration does not duplicate the 

6 USC 240 note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 126 STAT. 1489 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 915: 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–268 (Comm. on Homeland Security). 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 112–206 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 

May 30, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Nov. 27, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

efforts of other existing interagency task forces or centers 

within that jurisdiction. 

‘‘(d) OPERATION.—After determining the jurisdictions in which 

to establish BEST units under subsection (c)(2), and in order to 

provide Federal assistance to such jurisdictions, the Secretary 

may— 

‘‘(1) direct the assignment of Federal personnel to BEST, 

subject to the approval of the head of the department or agency 

that employs such personnel; and 

‘‘(2) take other actions to assist Federal, State, local, and 

tribal entities to participate in BEST, including providing financial assistance, as appropriate, for operational, administrative, 

and technological costs associated with the participation of 

Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in 

BEST. 

‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which 

BEST is established under this section, and annually thereafter 

for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall submit a report to 

Congress that describes the effectiveness of BEST in enhancing 

border security and reducing the drug trafficking, arms smuggling, 

illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping 

along and across the international borders of the United States, 

as measured by crime statistics, including violent deaths, incidents 

of violence, and drug-related arrests.’’. 

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents under section 

1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101(b)) is 

amended by inserting after the item relating to section 431 the 

following: 

‘‘Sec. 432. Border Enforcement Security Task Force.’’. 

Approved December 7, 2012. 


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