I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5684 

To require the Director for Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct annual assessments on 

threats posed to the United States by transnational criminal organizations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 

Mr. PFLUGER (for himself and Ms. LEE of Florida) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require the Director for Homeland Security Investigations 

of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct annual assessments on threats posed to the United 

States by transnational criminal organizations, 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 ‘‘Transnational Crimi5 nal Organization Threat Assessment Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS ON THREATS POSED TO THE 

2 UNITED STATES BY TRANSNATIONAL CRIMI3 NAL ORGANIZATIONS. 

4 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

5 the date of the enactment of this Act and annually there6 after, the Director for Homeland Security Investigations 

7 of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the De8 partment of Homeland Security, in consultation with the 

9 Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection of 

10 the Department, the Commandant of the United States 

11 Coast Guard, and the heads of other relevant Federal de12 partments or agencies the Director determines appro13 priate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com14 mittees assessments of threats posed to the United States 

15 by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). 

16 (b) CONTENTS.—Each assessment under subsection 

17 (a) shall address the following: 

18 (1) The most significant TCOs active in and 

19 outside of the United States, including along the 

20 southwest and northern borders, and including the 

21 organizational structure, characteristics, and areas 

22 of influence within the United States of each such 

23 TCO. 

24 (2) The drug smuggling trends used by TCOs 

25 to transport illicit drugs entering the United States, 

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1 including information on seizures, investigations, 

2 and drug purity and potency levels. 

3 (3) The role organized violent gangs have work4 ing with TCOs in domestic drug trafficking. 

5 (4) The money laundering activities used by 

6 TCOs to generate proceeds through the sale of illicit 

7 drugs in the United States. 

8 (5) Information about the most widely traf9 ficked drugs in the United States, including illicit 

10 opioids, heroin, methamphetamine, and new 

11 psychoactive substances, including regarding their 

12 availability, consumption, and overdose related 

13 deaths, production and cultivation, transportation, 

14 and distribution. 

15 (6) A predictive outlook regarding drug traf16 ficking and drug-related trends and activities by 

17 TCOs. 

18 (7) Any other matters the Director for Home19 land Security Investigations determines relevant. 

20 (c) FORM.—Each assessment under subsection (a) 

21 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 

22 a classified annex only for the protection of intelligence 

23 sources and methods relating to the matters contained in 

24 each such assessment. The Director for Homeland Secu25 rity Investigations shall post on a publicly available 

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1 website of Homeland Security Investigations the unclassi2 fied portion of each such assessment. 

3 (d) BRIEFING.— 

4 (1) BRIEFING.—The Director for Homeland Se5 curity Investigations shall annually brief the appro6 priate congressional committees regarding each as7 sessment under subsection (a). The head of any 

8 other relevant Federal department or agency shall 

9 accompany the Director for any such briefing if any 

10 such committee, in consultation with the Director, 

11 determines such is appropriate. 

12 (e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

13 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com14 mittees’’ means the Committee on Homeland Security and 

15 the Committee on Judiciary of the House of Representa16 tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov17 ernmental Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of 

18 the Senate. 

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