I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1270 

To direct the Secretary of State to designate as foreign terrorist organizations 

certain Mexican drug cartels, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 30, 2011 

Mr. MCCAUL (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of State to designate as foreign 

terrorist organizations certain Mexican drug cartels, 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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The Office of Counterterrorism of the De6 partment of State has stated, ‘‘FTO designations 

7 play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and 

8 are an effective means of curtailing support for ter9 rorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of 

10 the terrorism business.’’. 


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1 (2) Foreign drug cartels have used brutal tac2 tics of violence and the threat of violence against 

3 United States citizens to protect and expand their 

4 drug trade and as well as their areas of operation. 

5 In September 2010, American David Hartley was 

6 shot by the Mexican drug cartel, the Zetas, while jet 

7 skiing, because he unknowingly came too close to 

8 their avenues for drug smuggling across Falcon 

9 Lake in Texas. In February 2011, Special Agent 

10 Jaime Zapata, an Immigrations and Customs Agent, 

11 was murdered by the Zetas while on duty in Mexico. 

12 These are only two cases of many where American 

13 lives have been lost or threatened due to the actions 

14 of drug cartels. 

15 (3) When Americans at home and abroad, in16 cluding agents assigned to protect United States 

17 borders and national security, are targeted, threat18 ened, and attacked by such foreign entities, it serves 

19 a continual threat to the safety and security of the 

20 United States and its people. 

21 (4) The Mexican drug cartels meet all of the 

22 legal criteria for designation as foreign terrorist or23 ganizations under section 219 of the Immigration 

24 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189): 


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1 (A) The organizations are foreign organi2 zations. 

3 (B) The organizations engage in terrorist 

4 activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B) of 

5 the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

6 1182(a)(3)(B)) or terrorism (as defined in sec7 tion 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Author8 ization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 

9 U.S.C. 2656f(d)(2)), or retain the capability 

10 and intent to engage in terrorist activity or ter11 rorism). 

12 (C) The terrorist activity or terrorism of 

13 the organizations threatens the security of 

14 United States nationals or the national security 

15 of the United States. 

16 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION. 

17 The Secretary of State shall designate under section 

18 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

19 1189) as a foreign terrorist organization the following: 

20 (1) The Arellano Feliz Organization. 

21 (2) The Los Zetas Cartel. 

22 (3) The Beltran Leyva Organization. 

23 (4) La Familia Michoacana. 

24 (5) The Sinaloa Cartel. 


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1 (6) The Gulf Cartel/New Federation. 

Æ 


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