I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5132 
To bolster Department of Homeland Security efforts to combat cross-border 
threats posed by transnational criminal organizations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2023 
Mr. THANEDAR (for himself, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. CORREA, Mr. 
ROBERT GARCIA of California, Mr. MAGAZINER, and Ms. TOKUDA) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Home-
land Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and 
Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To bolster Department of Homeland Security efforts to com-
bat cross-border threats posed by transnational criminal 
organizations, 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 ‘‘United Against 
Transnational Criminal Organizations Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. BOLSTERING DHS EFFORTS TO COMBAT CROSS- 
BORDER 
THREATS 
POSED 
BY 
TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) DHS JOINT TASK FORCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection 
(b)(11) of section 708 of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 348), not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall, pursuant to such 
section, establish a Department of Homeland Secu-
rity Joint Task Force to conduct operations using 
personnel and capabilities of the Department to 
combat cross-border threats posed by transnational 
criminal organizations operating along the land bor-
ders of the United States for the purpose specified 
in clause (i) of subsection (b)(2)(A) of such section. 
Such task force shall— 
(A) 
pay 
particular 
attention 
to 
transnational criminal organizations that target 
foreign nationals, particularly children and fam-
ilies, for smuggling or trafficking across the 
land border of the United States; and 
(B) when appropriate, refer to the Attor-
ney General for prosecution border-related 
criminal activity. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(2) PRIORITIES.—The task force established in 
accordance with paragraph (1) may, when appro-
priate, refer to the Attorney General for prosecution 
border-related criminal activity, and shall pay par-
ticular attention to transnational criminal organiza-
tions that— 
(A) target people, particularly children and 
families, for smuggling or trafficking across the 
land borders of the United States; or 
(B) are engaged in the smuggling or traf-
ficking of fentanyl, fentanyl chemical precur-
sors, or related equipment and material across 
the land borders of the United States. 
(3) PERFORMANCE METRICS.—Consistent with 
subsection (b)(9) of section 708 of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall establish and submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees performance metrics 
to evaluate the effectiveness of the Joint Task Force 
established pursuant to paragraph (1). Such per-
formance 
metrics 
shall 
include 
outcome-based 
metrics associated with efforts to achieve the prior-
ities described in paragraph (2), including informa-
tion on effectiveness at identifying transnational 
criminal organizations engaged in such activity, the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
sharing of information regarding such organizations, 
efforts to dismantle or disrupt such activity by such 
organizations, and investigative contributions to the 
prosecution of such organizations. 
(4) QUARTERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not 
later than four months after the establishment of 
the Joint Task Force pursuant to paragraph (1) and 
every four months thereafter until such Joint Task 
Force is disbanded by the Secretary in accordance 
with paragraph (4), the Director of such Joint Task 
Force shall report to the appropriate congressional 
committees on the activities of such Joint Task 
Force during the preceding four-month period. 
(5) DISBANDING OF JOINT TASK FORCE.—The 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall— 
(A) upon establishment of the Joint Task 
Force pursuant to paragraph (1), report to the 
appropriate congressional committees the cri-
teria to be applied by the Secretary before mak-
ing a determination to disband such Joint Task 
Force; and 
(B) not later than 15 days prior to dis-
banding such Joint Task Force, submit to such 
committees a justification relating thereto. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(6) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘ap-
propriate congressional committees’’ means the com-
mittees specified in subparagraph (F) of section 
708(b)(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. 
(b) TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION BOR-
DER SCREENING STRATEGY.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall issue a strategy to improve 
the effectiveness of the screening of vehicles, persons, and 
cargo at land ports of entry that may be at higher risk 
of being related to transnational criminal organization ac-
tivity. Upon issuance of such strategy, the Secretary shall 
brief the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate regarding 
such strategy. 
(c) INTEGRATED BORDER INTELLIGENCE ANALYT-
ICAL CELL.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
establish within the National Targeting Center of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection an integrated border in-
telligence analytical cell focused on sharing information re-
garding potential concentrated surges of migrants arriving 
at the land borders of the United States, and smuggling 
or trafficking that may pose a border security, homeland 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
security, or other threat to the land borders of the United 
States. Such cell shall integrate intelligence capabilities 
from across the Department of Homeland Security to 
carry out the following: 
(1) Develop intelligence products to improve the 
Department’s ability to track, prepare for, and man-
age in a humane and effective manner concentrated 
surges of migrants arriving along the land border of 
the United States. 
(2) Report on transnational criminal organiza-
tions exploiting migrating populations and migration 
routes to smuggle or traffic fentanyl or other illicit 
goods across the land border of the United States. 
(3) Support Federal efforts to dismantle or dis-
rupt smuggling and trafficking routes along the land 
border of the United States. 
(4) Report on information circulated by 
transnational criminal organizations and other mali-
cious actors to encourage illicit migrant travel to the 
United States. 
(5) Develop other related intelligence products 
that support the Department’s border security oper-
ations. 
(d) STRENGTHENING
CROSS-BORDER
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:35 Aug 21, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
nation with the Secretary of State, shall expand partner-
ship efforts with law enforcement entities in Canada, Mex-
ico, countries in Central America and South America, and 
other appropriate countries to combat smuggling and traf-
ficking of people, fentanyl, fentanyl chemical precursors, 
or related equipment and material within such countries, 
including through the following: 
(1) Expansion of transnational criminal inves-
tigative units to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and 
prosecute transnational criminal organization activ-
ity. 
(2) Participation in the Bilateral Human Traf-
ficking Enforcement Initiative by U.S. Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement and the Department of 
Justice with their Mexican law enforcement counter-
parts. 
(3) Expansion of advanced training programs 
for investigators and prosecutors from Canada, Mex-
ico, countries in Central America and South Amer-
ica, and other appropriate countries. 
(4) Increase of capacity-building efforts to sup-
port international partners in improving the ability 
of such partners to detect and interdict fentanyl, 
fentanyl chemical precursors, and related equipment 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:47 Aug 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5132.IH
H5132
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB