IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1477 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 26, 2019 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

AN ACT 

To require a threat assessment and strategy to counter Russian influence in Venezuela, an assessment of foreign 

acquisition of CITGO assets in the United States, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Russian-Venezuelan 

3 Threat Mitigation Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The Russian Federation’s increased pres7 ence in the Western Hemisphere is of concern to the 

8 United States and our allies in the region. 

9 (2) In December 2018, the Russian Federation 

10 sent two Tu–160 nuclear-capable bombers to Ven11 ezuela for joint exercises with the Venezuelan mili12 tary. The Tu–160 can carry conventional or nuclear13 tipped cruise missiles with an estimated maximum 

14 range of around 3,000 miles. 

15 (3) Russian and Venezuelan forces took part in 

16 a joint 10-hour exercise across the Caribbean in De17 cember 2018 with the Tu–160 nuclear-capable 

18 bombers. 

19 (4) Nicolas Maduro and his regime have turned 

20 to the Russian Federation, one of its strongest polit21 ical allies, for financial support during its current 

22 economic crisis and to counter international support 

23 for Juan Guaido. 

24 (5) In January 2018, Russia sent contractors 

25 linked to the Wagner Group to provide security for 

26 Nicolas Maduro. 


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1 (6) Nicolas Maduro secured loans from the 

2 Russian Federation to be repaid through future oil 

3 exports, but fell behind on those payments in 2017. 

4 News reports in December 2018 suggest that Rus5 sian State oil company Rosneft has lent Venezuelan 

6 state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PdVSA) 

7 $6.5 billion partly as prepayment for crude oil, $3.1 

8 billion of which remained outstanding as of the end 

9 of September 2018. 

10 (7) In 2016, PdVSA secured a $1.5 billion loan 

11 from Rosneft, and PdVSA used 49.9 percent of its 

12 shares in United States-based and Venezuelan13 owned company CITGO as collateral. A Venezuelan 

14 default could lead to potential Russian ownership of 

15 United States energy infrastructure. 

16 (8) At the conclusion of a 3-day visit to Moscow 

17 in December 2018, Maduro announced $6 billion 

18 worth of Russian investment pledges focused on the 

19 oil and mining sectors as well as the export of 

20 600,000 tons of Russian wheat to Venezuela to 

21 cover its 2019 needs. 

22 SEC. 3. THREAT ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY TO COUNTER 

23 RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN VENEZUELA. 

24 (a) THREAT ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 120 days 

25 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 


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1 of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

2 committees an assessment on Russian-Venezuelan security 

3 cooperation and the potential threat such cooperation 

4 poses to the United States and countries in the Western 

5 Hemisphere. 

6 (b) STRATEGY.—Not later than 30 days after the 

7 submission of the threat assessment required under sub8 section (a), the Secretary of State shall submit to the ap9 propriate congressional committees a strategy to counter 

10 threats identified in such assessment from Russian-Ven11 ezuelan cooperation. 

12 (c) FORM.—The threat assessment required under 

13 subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 

14 may include a classified annex. 

15 (d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro16 priate congressional committees’’ means the Committee on 

17 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 

18 Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. 

19 SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN ACQUISITION OF CITGO 

20 ASSETS IN THE UNITED STATES. 

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

22 date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 

23 transmit to the appropriate congressional committees an 

24 assessment of the national security risks posed by potenVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:20 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1477.RFS H1477

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1 tial Russian acquisition of CITGO’s United States energy 

2 infrastructure holdings. 

3 (b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro4 priate congressional committees’’ means the Committee on 

5 Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and 

6 the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Rep7 resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

8 Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on 

9 Banking of the Senate and the Committee on Financial 

10 Services of the House of Representatives and the Com11 mittee on Banking of the Senate. 

12 SEC. 5. ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PA13 ROLE. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—An alien who the Secretary of 

15 State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a des16 ignee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason to 

17 believe, is an alien who is acting or has acted on behalf 

18 of the Russian Government in direct support of the Ven19 ezuelan security forces is— 

20 (1) inadmissible to the United States; 

21 (2) ineligible to receive a visa or other docu22 mentation to enter the United States; and 

23 (3) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or pa24 roled into the United States or to receive any other 


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1 benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act 

2 (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 

3 (b) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The issuing consular officer, 

5 the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Home6 land Security (or a designee of one of such Secre7 taries) shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the 

8 Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), 

9 revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued 

10 to an alien described in subsection (a) regardless of 

11 when the visa or other entry documentation is 

12 issued. 

13 (2) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A revocation 

14 under paragraph (1) shall— 

15 (A) take effect immediately; and 

16 (B) automatically cancel any other valid 

17 visa or entry documentation that is in the 

18 alien’s possession. 

19 (c) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH UNITED NATIONS

20 HEADQUARTERS AGREEMENT OR FOR NATIONAL SECU21 RITY REASONS.— 

22 (1) INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.—This sec23 tion shall not apply to an alien if admitting the alien 

24 into the United States is necessary to permit the 

25 United States to comply with— 


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1 (A) the Agreement regarding the Head2 quarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake 

3 Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force 

4 November 21, 1947, between the United Na5 tions and the United States; or 

6 (B) other applicable international obliga7 tions of the United States. 

8 (2) NATIONAL SECURITY.—The President may 

9 waive the application of this section to an alien if 

10 the President— 

11 (A) determines that such a waiver is in the 

12 national interest of the United States; and 

13 (B) transmits to the Committee on For14 eign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

15 and the Committee on Foreign Relations a no16 tice of and justification for such waiver. 

17 (d) TERMINATION.—This section shall terminate on 

18 the earlier of— 

19 (1) the date that is one year after the date of 

20 the enactment of this Act; or 

21 (2) the date on which the President certifies to 

22 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 

23 Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Re24 lations of the Senate that the Government of Ven25 ezuela has returned to a democratic form of governVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:20 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1477.RFS H1477

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1 ment with respect for the essential elements of rep2 resentative democracy as set forth in Article 3 of the 

3 Inter-American Democratic Charter. 

4 (e) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘Ven5 ezuelan security forces’’ includes the following: 

6 (1) The Bolivarian National Armed Forces, in7 cluding the Bolivarian National Guard. 

8 (2) The Bolivarian National Intelligence Serv9 ice. 

10 (3) The Bolivarian National Police. 

11 (4) The Bureau for Scientific, Criminal and Fo12 rensic Investigations of the Ministry of Interior, Jus13 tice, and Peace. 

Passed the House of Representatives March 25, 

2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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