II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 309 

To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act 

of 1998 to require a Caribbean border counternarcotics strategy, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 

Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to require a Caribbean border 

counternarcotics strategy, 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 ‘‘Caribbean Border 

5 Counternarcotics Strategy Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CARIBBEAN BORDER COUNTERNARCOTICS STRAT2 EGY ACT. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 702 of the Office of Na4 tional Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 

5 (21 U.S.C. 1701) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (15) through 

7 (17) as paragraphs (16) through (18), respectively; 

8 (2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(15) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of 

11 the several States of the United States, the District 

12 of Columbia, and each territory or possession of the 

13 United States.’’; 

14 (3) by amending paragraph (18), as redesig15 nated— 

16 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) 

17 and (H) as subparagraphs (H) and (I), respec18 tively; and 

19 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (F) 

20 the following: 

21 ‘‘(G) activities to map, track, dismantle, 

22 and disrupt the financial networks of drug traf23 ficking organizations, transnational criminal or24 ganizations, and money laundering organiza25 tions involved in the manufacture and trafVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:31 Feb 17, 2023 Jkt 047007 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S309.IS S309

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1 ficking of drugs in the United States and in 

2 foreign countries;’’; and 

3 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(19) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘United 

5 States’, when used in a geographical sense, means 

6 all of the States, the District of Columbia, and the 

7 territories and possessions of the United States, and 

8 any waters within the jurisdiction of the United 

9 States.’’. 

10 (b) REQUIREMENT FOR CARIBBEAN BORDER COUN11 TERNARCOTICS STRATEGY.—Section 706(c)(3) of the Of12 fice of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act 

13 of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1705(c)(3)) is amended by adding at 

14 the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(D) REQUIREMENT FOR CARIBBEAN BOR16 DER COUNTERNARCOTICS STRATEGY.— 

17 ‘‘(i) PURPOSES.—The Caribbean Bor18 der Counternarcotics Strategy shall— 

19 ‘‘(I) set forth the strategy of the 

20 Federal Government for preventing 

21 the illegal trafficking of drugs through 

22 the Caribbean region into the United 

23 States, including through ports of 

24 entry, between ports of entry, and 

25 across air and maritime approaches; 


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1 ‘‘(II) state the specific roles and 

2 responsibilities of each relevant Na3 tional Drug Control Program agency 

4 for implementing the strategy; 

5 ‘‘(III) identify the specific re6 sources required to enable the relevant 

7 National Drug Control Program agen8 cies to implement the strategy; and 

9 ‘‘(IV) be designed to promote, 

10 and not hinder, legitimate trade and 

11 travel. 

12 ‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC CONTENT RELATED TO

13 PUERTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES

14 VIRGIN ISLANDS.—The Caribbean Border 

15 Counternarcotics Strategy shall include— 

16 ‘‘(I) a strategy to prevent the il17 legal trafficking of drugs to or 

18 through Puerto Rico and the United 

19 States Virgin Islands, including meas20 ures to substantially reduce drug-re21 lated violent crime on such islands; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(II) recommendations for addi24 tional assistance or authorities, if any, 

25 needed by Federal, State, and local 


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1 law enforcement agencies relating to 

2 the strategy, including an evaluation 

3 of Federal technical and financial as4 sistance, infrastructure capacity build5 ing, and interoperability deficiencies.’’. 

Æ 


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