105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 288
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Mexico is an important ally of the United States
and these countries’ economies, cultures, and security in-
terests are permanently intertwined;
Whereas illegal drugs continue to destroy our cities and kill
our children, the illegal international narcotics trade
poses a direct and pernicious threat to the vital national
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interests of the United States, and combating this threat
is one of our Nation’s highest priorities;
Whereas Mexico is one of the major source countries for nar-
cotic drugs and other controlled substances entering the
United States;
Whereas criminal organizations engage in money laundering
to reap the financial benefits of the illegal narcotics trade
and combating money laundering is a necessary and inte-
gral part of a national strategy to combat the narcotics
trade;
Whereas Mexico is currently unable to limit meaningfully the
laundering of drug proceeds in its financial institutions,
as noted in the Department of State’s 1997 International
Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which indicates that
Mexico ‘‘continues to be the money laundering haven of
choice for the transportation of United States cash drug
proceeds’’;
Whereas, despite the commitment of President Zedillo to
combat drug trafficking and money laundering, the Gov-
ernment of Mexico ‘‘acknowledges that narcotics-related
corruption is pervasive and entrenched within the crimi-
nal justice system and that it has spread beyond that sec-
tor’’, as demonstrated by the February 1997 arrest of the
chief of Mexico’s National Counternarcotics Institute on
charges of accepting bribes from, and complicity with, the
drug cartels, shortly after receiving confidential briefings
from United States law enforcement agencies;
Whereas progressively more violent, organized, and wide-
spread illegal drug operations constitute a threat not only
to the health and well-being of the Mexican people but
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also to the integrity of the Mexican Government and its
law enforcement agencies;
Whereas the vast majority of people and public servants in
Mexico support ridding their country of this dark and
sinister threat;
Whereas the United States Customs Service, in conjunction
with other United States law enforcement agencies, re-
cently concluded ‘‘Operation Casablanca’’, the largest un-
dercover money laundering investigation in the history of
the United States, in which over 100 persons were ar-
rested and three Mexican financial institutions were in-
dicted;
Whereas Operation Casablanca is in the interest of the people
of the United States, as it strikes a direct blow against
the laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug sales in
Mexican financial institutions and is necessary for an ef-
fective effort against money laundering in the United
States;
Whereas United States law enforcement agents participating
in Operation Casablanca placed themselves in peril of se-
vere injury or death in order to combat the illegal narcot-
ics trade;
Whereas recently the Government of Mexico has reportedly
announced a desire to investigate and possibly prosecute
United States law enforcement officials involved in Oper-
ation Casablanca on the ground that United States law
enforcement agents allegedly operated on Mexican soil
without prior notification of the Government of Mexico;
Whereas the Government of Mexico had been notified of the
broad concept but not details of a money laundering in-
vestigation; whereas notification of details could have
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jeopardized the safety of United States law enforcement
officials; and
Whereas notification to foreign governments of the specifics
of undercover money laundering investigations conducted
by the United States could, under certain circumstances,
render ineffective such investigations, which would be
contrary to the interests of the United States: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) undercover law enforcement investigations,
including under appropriate circumstances sting op-
erations, are necessary to counter increasingly so-
phisticated money laundering schemes that involve
financial institutions in this country and other coun-
tries, including Mexico; and
(2) the United States should not agree to extra-
dite to Mexico United States law enforcement agents
involved in Operation Casablanca for actions taken
within the scope of Operation Casablanca.
Passed the House of Representatives June 22, 1998.
Attest:
Clerk.