Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees (A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives (E) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives (F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives (2) Southern border The term Southern Border 3. Additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for southbound inspections (a) CBP officers The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 500 new officers to assist with inspections of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and other modes of transportation traveling from the United States to Mexico. (b) Support staff The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is authorized to hire, train, and assign such additional support staff as may be necessary to support the functions carried out by the officers hired pursuant to subsection (a). 4. Additional inspection equipment and infrastructure (a) Imaging systems The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is authorized to purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging systems, which shall be deployed along the Southern Border for the purpose of inspecting vehicles traveling from the United States to Mexico. (b) Alternative equipment The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is authorized to purchase additional alternative equipment that the Commissioner deems necessary for the purpose of inspecting individuals or vehicles traveling from the United States to Mexico. 5. Additional Homeland Security Investigations personnel for investigations of southbound smuggling (a) HSI special agents The Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign not fewer than 100 new Homeland Security Investigations special agents to assist with investigations involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from the United States to Mexico. (b) Support staff The Director is authorized to hire, train, and assign such additional support staff as may be necessary to support the functions carried out by the special agents hired pursuant to subsection (a). 6. Report (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) identifies infrastructure limitations at any individual port that may limit the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deploy additional inspection equipment and inspect vehicles and pedestrians traveling from the United States to Mexico; (2) identifies the number of dedicated outbound traffic lanes that are being used at each port of entry along the Southern Border; (3) provides a detailed explanation of any plans to expand the outbound lane capacity and inspection capabilities at ports of entry along the Southern Border; and (4) describes any plans that would allow for the use of alternative inspection sites near a port of entry along the Southern Border. (b) Classification The report submitted pursuant to subsection (a), or any part of such report, may be classified or provided with other appropriate safeguards to prevent public dissemination. 7. Minimum mandatory southbound inspection requirement (a) Requirement The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that 20 percent of all vehicles traveling from the United States to Mexico are inspected before leaving the United States, to the extent practicable. (b) Authorized inspection activities Inspections required pursuant to subsection (a) may include nonintrusive imaging, physical inspections by officers or canine units, or other means authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security. (c) Report Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the staffing model that will be used to carry out the inspection requirement described in subsection (a). 8. Southbound currency and firearms seizures quarterly report (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until the date that is 4 years after such date of enactment, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the seizure of currency, firearms, and ammunition attempted to be trafficked from the United States to Mexico across the Southern Border. (b) Contents Each report submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for which such information is available— (1) the total number of currency seizures that occurred from outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry along the Southern Border; (2) the total dollar amount associated with the currency seizures referred to in paragraph (1); (3) the total number of firearms seized from outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry along the Southern Border; (4) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from outbound inspections at United States land ports of entry along the Southern Border; and (5) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and ammunition seizures that occurred at United States land ports of entry along the Southern Border.

Summary: Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act This bill requires and authorizes actions related to the inspection of pedestrians and vehicles crossing the border from the United States to Mexico. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must, to the extent practicable, ensure that 20% of such outbound vehicles are inspected. DHS may use various means to meet this requirement, including nonintrusive imaging. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must hire at least 500 new officers to inspect pedestrians and vehicles crossing the border to Mexico. The CBP may also hire support staff and purchase equipment to assist with such inspections. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must hire at least 100 new Homeland Security Investigations special agents to investigate the smuggling of currency and firearms from the United States to Mexico. ICE may also hire support staff to support these special agents. The bill also requires reports to Congress on various issues addressed in this bill, including quarterly reports on currency, firearms, and ammunition seized from outbound inspections along the southern border.