I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 713 
To provide enhanced capabilities to combat transnational criminal cartels, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 1, 2023 
Mr. CRENSHAW (for himself, Mr. ELLZEY, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. WEBER of 
Texas, Ms. VAN DUYNE, and Mr. HUDSON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Ways and 
Means, and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide enhanced capabilities to combat transnational 
criminal cartels, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Declaring War on the Cartels Act of 2023’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
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TITLE I—TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL CARTELS 
Sec. 101. Definitions. 
Sec. 102. Penalty. 
Sec. 103. Offenses. 
Sec. 104. Circumstances. 
TITLE II—AUTHORITIES TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL 
CARTELS 
Sec. 201. Definitions. 
Sec. 202. Financial. 
Sec. 203. Transnational criminal cartel as a ground of inadmissibility. 
Sec. 204. Penalties for nationals and residents facilitating transnational cartels. 
Sec. 205. Foreign government coordination. 
Sec. 206. Connections between governments and transnational criminal organi-
zations. 
Sec. 207. Sanctions on foreign governments found to facilitate transnational 
criminal cartels. 
Sec. 208. Sanctions on foreign persons found to facilitate transnational crimi-
nal cartels. 
Sec. 209. Penalties on financial institutions continuing to do business with 
transnational criminal organizations. 
TITLE I—TRANSNATIONAL 
CRIMINAL CARTELS 
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purpose of this title, the term ‘‘transnational 
criminal cartel(s)’’ are used to indicate the organizations, 
affiliates, and witting facilitators of the following: 
(1) The Sinaloa Cartel. 
(2) The Jalisco New Generation Cartel. 
(3) The Beltran-Levya Cartel. 
(4) The Gulf Cartel. 
(5) The Los Zetas. 
(6) The Tijuana Cartel. 
(7) The La Familia Michoacana/Knights Tem-
plar Cartel. 
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SEC. 102. PENALTY. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the sen-
tence of a person convicted of an offense described in sec-
tion 103 shall be increased by not less than 10 years and 
up to 20 years if the offense is committed under the cir-
cumstances described in section 104. 
SEC. 103. OFFENSES. 
The offenses described in this section are— 
(1) a Federal felony involving a controlled sub-
stance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)) for which the max-
imum penalty is not less than 5 years; 
(2) a Federal felony crime of violence that has 
as an element the use or attempted use of physical 
force against the person of another; 
(3) a violation of United States customs laws, 
specifically sections 542, 545, and 553 through 555, 
of title 18, United States Code; 
(4) a violation of sections 873 and 880 of title 
18, United States Code; 
(5) a violation of sections 922 and 931 of title 
18, United States Code; 
(6) a violation of sections 1001, 1002, and 
1015 of title 18, United States Code; 
(7) a violation of chapter 51 of title 18, United 
States Code; 
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(8) a violation of chapter 55 of title 18, United 
States Code; 
(9) a violation of section 1365 of title 18, 
United States Code; 
(10) a violation of sections 1425 through 1427 
of title 18, United States Code; 
(11) a violation of sections 1502 and 1510 
through 1513 of title 18, United States Code; 
(12) a violation of sections 1583 through 1585, 
1589 through 1592, and 1597 of title 18, United 
States Code; 
(13) a violation of sections 2118 through 2119 
of title 18, United States Code; 
(14) a violation of section 2231 of title 18, 
United States Code; 
(15) a violation of sections 2241 through 2245 
of title 18, United States Code; 
(16) a violation of sections 2251 and 2251A of 
title 18, United States Code; 
(17) a violation of chapter 113 of title 18, 
United States Code; 
(18) a violation of sections 2421 through 2424, 
of title 18, United States Code; and 
(19) a conspiracy to commit an offense de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) through (18). 
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