I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5501 
To direct the Secretary of State to take certain actions to end corruption 
in the Northern Triangle region of Central America, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2018 
Mrs. TORRES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judi-
ciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of State to take certain actions 
to end corruption in the Northern Triangle region of 
Central America, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘End Corruption in the 
Northern Triangle Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate. 
(2) GRAND
CORRUPTION.—The term ‘‘grand 
corruption’’ means public corruption committed at a 
high level of government that— 
(A) distorts policies or the central func-
tioning of the country; and 
(B) enables leaders to benefit at the ex-
pense of the public good. 
(3) NORTHERN TRIANGLE.—The term ‘‘North-
ern Triangle’’ means the region of Central America 
that encompasses the countries of Guatemala, Hon-
duras, and El Salvador. 
(4) NORTHERN
TRIANGLE
COUNTRIES.—The 
term ‘‘Northern Triangle countries’’ means the 
countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) According to the February 9, 2017, Presi-
dential Executive order on ‘‘Enforcing Federal Law 
with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organiza-
tions and Preventing International Trafficking’’, 
transnational criminal organizations ‘‘are drivers of 
crime, corruption, violence, and misery’’, and ‘‘a 
comprehensive and decisive approach is required to 
dismantle these organized crime syndicates and re-
store safety for the American people.’’. 
(2) Since 2008, the United States has provided 
more than $1 billion through the Central America 
Regional Security Initiative in order to address vio-
lence, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking and 
in Central America. 
(3) The 2017 International Narcotics Control 
Strategy Report stated that ‘‘corruption within the 
Salvadoran political system remains a serious prob-
lem’’. 
(4) According to the same report, in Guatemala 
‘‘widespread corruption permeates public and private 
institutions and exacerbates the country’s security, 
governmental, and economic challenges’’. 
(5) The same report notes that in Honduras, 
corruption has undermined progress on disrupting 
and degrading illegal trafficking, because ‘‘traf-
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ficking organizations have infiltrated some military 
units in active drug corridors’’. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) systemic corruption constitutes a significant 
threat to the long-term prospects for democratic gov-
ernance, prosperity, and security in the Northern 
Triangle, and is an impediment to United States ef-
forts to reduce the flow of cocaine and other nar-
cotics from South America to the United States; 
(2) the International Commission against Impu-
nity in Guatemala and the Mission to Support the 
Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras 
have made important contributions to the fight 
against corruption in Guatemala and Honduras, re-
spectively; and 
(3) the lack of an international commission 
against impunity in El Salvador is a limiting factor 
in efforts to combat corruption in that country. 
SEC. 5. ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a strategy to enhance United States efforts to dismantle 
systemic corruption in the Northern Triangle. 
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(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy shall include the fol-
lowing elements: 
(1) Diplomatic and financial support for inter-
national commissions against impunity. 
(2) Enhanced cooperation with local prosecu-
tors, investigative units within national and local po-
lice forces, and revenue and customs authorities of 
each Northern Triangle country. 
(3) Exchange of information relevant to ongo-
ing criminal investigations, where possible, with local 
prosecutors and the international commissions 
against impunity. 
(4) The designations of individuals within the 
Northern Triangle that meet the requirements for 
designations under— 
(A) the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Des-
ignation Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.); 
(B) section 212(a)(2)(C) of the Immigra-
tion 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1182(a)(2)(C)); or 
(C) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights 
Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of 
Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note). 
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